The Kiss Of Death
by Mysterytay
Summary: After Starscream goes rogue he discovers a human embedded with dark energon. He tells her he has been sent to protect her, but he only plans on using her for his own personal gain. (Takes place after "Partners")
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: No flames for this. Only critique my writing, please. This is very loosely based on "Kiss Players." Hear me out. I'm only taking the concept and applying it to the TFP universe, minus all the creepy. This is my first Transformers fic. I'll have a drawing of my oc on Deviantart.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Hasbro does.**

The Kiss Of Death

Chapter 1

_Servant to no one. _Hatred clouded his mind as he flew through the night. His imagination ran wild with thoughts of ripping his former master to shreds. He would kill him slowly, tearing all of his circuits one by one until he bled out and then he would make him watch as he finally tore his spark out for good. His sensors interrupted his malicious thoughts. He was detecting energon nearby. He was running a little low; not dangerously but he decided to check it out.

Changing his course, though he wasn't heading anywhere in particular, he tracked down the location. Starscream hadn't realized how far he had flown. He had spent days wandering the planet keeping a low profile, just waiting for an opportunity to find his way, and searching for any scrap of energon he could find. The sentient jet lowerd down to a forest, transformed, and made a smooth landing amongst the trees.

Upstate New York. Far away from both sides. He was close to his destination. He made his way through the forest and eventually came across a double-wide trailer. He froze, narrowing his optics. His sensors were telling him this was the exact location. There had to be a mine beneath the human dwelling; he could practically smell it.

"Interesting," he said. He crept up closer to the trailer and crouched behind two large pine trees and a boulder. He peered over the giant rock to look in a window, then quickly ducked down again when he saw a human's head turn in his direction. He looked up again and her head was back down. He was close enough for his audio to pick up the conversation two humans started having. There were only two who resided there. Two females; one older, one younger from what he guessed. He leaned in closely, wondering how he was going to get that energon.

...

Luna Atkins sat in a reclining chair in her living room, reading the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe. She stretched out in her skull pajamas, letting out a big yawn. She glanced at the clock. 11:50 PM. Exactly ten minutes until her birthday. Born on the full moon at midnight on the dot. Her mother never let her forget that. Every year she did an astrology reading for her daughter, much to her annoyance.

The Goth girl closed her book, and got up to join her mother in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table drinking herbal tea, and drawing up Luna's annual astrology chart. She was very into it. Her lips were pursed as she feverishly scribbled away on the giant paper. Her head snapped up when she heard her daughter walk in.

"It's almost time, kiddo," she smiled excitedly. "Oh, I can't believe you're gonna be eighteen. You grew up too fast."

"So, are you gonna kick me out now?" Luna joked, shuffling her feet. She couldn't handle her mother's beaming.

"Of course not! You can stay as long as you need to."

"Well, hopefully I'll nail this audition and get into Crane."

"Oh, you will!" Luna's mother stated as if it were fact. "You are getting in. I can sense something big is gonna happen. Something positive. This has to be it!" Luna rolled her eyes. She didn't really believe in this stuff but her mother clearly did. When she saw the excited look on her face she couldn't bring herself to tell her. If this made her happy, then so be it. She deserved to be happy; she worked so hard.

Luna gazed upon the woman sitting before her. Blonde hair, deep green eyes, and freckles. She had inherited those exact features. However, Luna's hair was dyed black and most of the time she wore porceline mak-up, so her freckles weren't visible. Though they looked very similar, Luna had always thought she never looked as beautiful as her mother.

Luna looked at the clock on the stove; two minutes until her birthday. Her mother stood up from her chair. "Are you sure you don't want a party?" She asked, approaching her soon to be adult daughter. "All your sweet sixteen was you binge watching that "Dark Shadows" box set I got you. I think even a small get-together would do you good." Luna sighed.

"Mom, I'm not the partying type," she said. "All that money could be spent on better things, like the rent. And I don't have any friends anyway. There'd be no point."

"Alright. I just think you need to socialize more." Luna rolled her eyes at then looked at the time. Her mother followed her gaze. "Happy birthday, kiddo!" She gave her daughter a tight hug. Luna hugged her back and heard sniffles.

"Are you crying?" she asked.

"Just a little," she pulled away. "Don't leave me too soon, okay."

"Graduation is just a few months away," Luna reminded.

"I know," her mother wiped a tear away, reached into a cubbord, and puled out a small package wrapped in colorful paper. "Here's your present. It's not much but..." she handed the present to her daughter. Luna tore the paper away to reveal a Day of the Dead skull bracelet.

"It's great, Mom. Thanks!" She tried to sound excited. She really liked the bracelet but she just didn't care about her birthdays anymore.

"You want me to read your chart tonight?" Her mother asked. "It's very good this year!"

"Uh, how about tomorrow," Luna replied. "I'm kinda tired."

"Okay then. I'm working late tomorrow."

"Okay. 'Nite." They embraced a final time before Luna started down the hall to her room.

...

Starscream rolled his optics, completely disinterested in the conversation taking place. He wished they would hurry up so he could search the place.

"Humans and their sentiments," he said in digust. "I might lose what little energon I have left!" He waited and waited, and the former Decepticon grew more impatiant as the minutes passed. One of them had went to recharge, and the other one was taking her sweet time. The next time he looked over the boulder, the trailer was completely dark. Now was his chance. He quietly left his position, careful not to make heavy footsteps. Crouching low, he began his search.

His sensors told him he was very close now. It had to be under the house. He could wait until they left the premise, then make his move. He would have to tear their dwelling apart to get it, and that was just fine with him. He continued his search just to be sure. He circled the trailer three times, crept all around the property. He had to duck behind the house when a car passed by.

He was right next to a window, his back pressed against the wall, when he noticed a familiar purple glow eminating from it. He lowered himself to the ground and carefully looked in the window.

"Impossible!" Starscream was dumbfounded. The purple glow was coming from a human sound asleep in her bed, which was right next to the window. Dark energon. The light luminated her skin; her face was very close to him. Somehow the blood of Unicron was within this inferior being. Energon was harmful to humans; how was this human still alive when _dark _energon coursed through her veins? He couldn't believe it; he simply stared at the creature, unable to look away. This certainly was an amazing discovery. A few minutes later, the glow faded and was gone.

His processor racing, Starscream quickly made his way back to his hiding spot. He would have to get it from her, but how?

"How is this possible?" he asked himself. "How do I get it from her?" He would have to track the Nemesis and find a way to extract it from her, but that could take weeks. If he killed her, the dark energon might die with her. Starscream grinned, evilly. He could use it to defeat Megatron. He would finally be in his rightful place as leader of the Decepticons! If he failed, he could simply offer the human up to his former master and be in his favor again. There were multiple good outcomes from this.

Tomorrow he would start tracking the Nemesis. Maybe he could snatch the girl and take her with him. He would plan it all out in the morning. Right now he really needed to recharge.

...

The horrid sound of the alarm clock woke Luna up the next morning (and a certain seeker as well). She groaned and slammed the off button. She made her way to the bathroom to start her morning routine, which took longer than average teenagers. The Goth girl started working on getting that big hair. Once it was in her usual messy bouffant, she did her make-up. White foundation, black eye-liner, and black lipstick. She threw on black jeans, a fishnet top, and her leather, lace-up boots and she was good to go. She was only five feet tall, but the thick boots added a good three inches.

After breakfast, she grabbed her black trenchcoat, as it was chilly outside, and headed outside to her car. Her mother had already left for work. Luna was about to open the car door when she was attacked.

...

A loud scream startled the silver mech. Starscream stood up and saw a Vehicon with the girl in his hand.

"No, she's mine!" Starscream shouted. He quickly made his way to the front of the trailer and clawed at the Vehicon's armor, dropping the screaming human when he let out a cry of pain. The seeker caught Luna before she hit the ground, and he finished the Vehicon with another quick swipe of his claws. He fell to the ground, energon soaking the dirt. Starscream gave him a kick, and set the human down.

She fell on her butt, due to wobbly legs. Luna couldn't believe her eyes. She was so stunned, she couldn't say anything for a while. Her breathing was heavy as she tried to stand up. She trembled in fear.

"Wha.. Who... What the hell was that! W-what are you!?" Luna stammered. An idea finally came to the seeker. He could gain her trust. It would be easier to keep track of the Nemesis if he didn't have a screaming brat in his cockpit. Once he found the Decepticon ship, he could easily bring her there. He doubted Megatron knew about the dark energon within her or else he would have come himself, but she didn't know that. That Vehicon was probably just scouting for energon. The silver mech looked the fleshling in the face.

"I-uh, have been sent to protect you from Megatron," Starscream lied.

"That raises more questions than it answers," Luna replied, completely in awe at the sight before her. Starscream looked about him, then down at the lifeless husk behind him. He needed to get rid of it. Although the trailer was far back from the road, he was still at risk of being seen. He bent down to grab the metal corpse from underneath its arms.

"Meet me behind the house," Starscream ordered. "Back in the woods. I'll explain everything."

**A/N: I'm currently working on chapter 2. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Luna was apprehensive as she followed the giant metal thing that dragged the other giant metal thing behind her house. She had never been more frightened in her life than when that thing grabbed her. She thought for sure she was done for. Would the other one try to hurt her too? He did save her life. He said he had been sent to protect her from, what was it he said? She met up with the giant metal thing in her backyard.

"Wait for me while I dispose of this," he orderd. Then he tossed the dead one over his shoulder and ran deep into the woods. A half hour later he returned. She stared up at the thin robotic figure before her, shuddering at his rather threatening demeanor.

"Listen closely," he said coldly. He stood with his hands behind his back. "I won't explain it again." He told her all about his race, and the war. The destruction of his home planet and the two factions of Cybertronians, leaving out that he was once a Decepticon himself, of course.

"I am not alligned with either side but the Autobots were in desperate need, as they are preoccupied at the moment. I was gracious enough to accept."

He told her all about the blood of Unicron, and how the Autobots had detected it inside her. He was able to look her straight in the face and lie, a skill he had possessed for millenia. He told her about how Megatron would be looking for her. Luna simply stared in disblief, eyes growing wide. "You are extremely valuable to him. He will rip you apart to get the dark energon you possess. He has many minions. It would be wise for you not to trust any other Cybertronian besides myself." He seemed to be finsished. It took a while for Luna to reply.

"I knew aliens were real," she quietly stated. Starscream looked annoyed. She jumped in excitement. "Holy crap, this is amazing! How exactly did this stuff get inside me?"

"I have a theory," the silver mech explained while pacing. He knew little of the human race but enough to know about their family units. "You see energon is very harmful to your species, let alone dark energon. One of your parents must have come in contact with it before you were born. I take it that other human is your mother, yes?"

"Yeah."

"Then it must've been your father. I assume he's dead?"

"I don't know," Luna replied. "I never knew my father. He left my mother when he found out she was pregnant with me. Why do you think he's dead?"

"It is very likely he is deceased," the seeker continued. "I would be surprised if it didn't kill him. I deduce your father came in contact with a very small amount of dark energon, not enough to kill him right away, but slowly. Soon after that he impregnated your mother, passing it on to you. I imagine he died shortly after he left your mother. Though I still haven't figured out how you are able to survive with it."

Luna was in complete shock. She couldn't believe this was all happening to her. She was almost killed, had discovered a robotic alien, and found out she had special blood. What a birthday!

"Will you transform for me?" she asked the seeker.

"I am not here for your entertainment," he stated firmly.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see," Luna put her hands up in apology. "It's not everyday you discover a robot that can change into a vehicle. So, do you eat this 'energon?' It's like your blood, right? Have you stepped on anybody yet? Y'know, I think I have a pair of heels just like those..." Starscream interrupted her excitement with a frustrated groan. He was about to swipe at her but he held back, using his words instead. He moved closer towering over her, his red optics bore into her. The girl stepped back, afraid he would crush her.

"Listen you inferior life form," he growled in his guttural voice. His talons curled into fists. "If you keep bothering me with these silly questions, I'll hand you over to Megatron myself! I don't care much for your kind, so just leave me be and let me do my job!" Once he calmed down, Luna gathered up enough courage to question him.

"If you don't care for my kind, then why are you protecting me?" She tried to keep her voice steady. Starscream narrowed his optics and leaned over, lowereing his head down to hers.

"Because you're too valuable," he answered in a low voice. "You're just a scientific discovery I'd like to study." His voice made her shiver. This was one creepy guy. She wasn't too sure about him, but she figured he was her only chance. Without him she would be in grave danger. From what he had told, this Megatron seemed very frightening. She didn't want to be running into him anytime soon.

Just then her phone rang. It was her mother.

"Don't say anything to anyone," Starscream ordered. Luna nodded and answered the phone.

"I got a call from the school," her mother greeted. "Why'd you stay home? Are you sick?" _Crap_, Luna thought to herself. She had missed over an hour of school.

"Uh, I had a headache this morning," she lied. "But I'm fine now." She had a habbit of scratching her nose ring whenever she lied. She wasn't very good at it.

"Are you sure? Do you need me to come home?"

"No!" Luna said abruptly. She glanced at the alien, who had wandered away and was looking up at the sky. How would her mother react to this? "I mean, I can handle it myself. It's almost gone, but I think I should stay home for the rest of the day." She knew her mother wouldn't mind her missing one day. Luna hardly ever played hooky, and it was her birthday after all.

"Alright," said her mother. "Drink plenty of water and maybe a hot bath would help."

"Okay, Mom. Love ya."

"Love you too. I'll be home at seven tonight."

"Kay, bye," Luna hung up and jogged up to the alien. "Hey!" He turned around to look down at her.

"What is it?" he asked in annoyance.

"Are we going to tell my mom about this?"

"I don't think it would be wise. The less humans who know, the better. You would risk both of your safety if you told her."

"She _is _my mom. I think she has a right to know what's going on," Luna if something happened to her? Her mother would go the rest of her life never knowing the truth. She didn't want to think about the pain she would endure. What if her mother got hurt?

Starscream sighed. Humans are so persistant.

"Trust me, it's for the better," he insisted. "As long as I am here, both of you will be safe. I can't risk anyone else discovering our species." Luna felt anxiety as she looked him straight in his optics.

"Promise me you won't let anything happen to us." He looked her straight in the eye and lied with ease.

"By the AllSpark." He caught the human's confused expression. "I'll explain later." Luna gave a small sigh of relief.

"Okay." She agreed. She stood there in silence, studying the strange creature before her. Very tall and slim. Those claws looked like they could rip through her without effort. Taking note of his wings, she guessed he transformed into some kind of jet. She noticed he had missiles on each arm, wondering if he would have to use them. His intense red eyes made her feel a little uncomfortable. He appeared to be studying her as well.

"So, you got a name?" she inquired, breaking the awkward silence. Her question snapped him out of his examination. This was truly fascinating to him; a human full of dark energon. He still had a hard time believing it.

"It's Starscream," the seeker answered.

"Cool name. I'm Luna," the human introduced herself. "Luna Atkins." Out of habbit, she offered her hand for him to shake, then dropped it when he gave her a confused look. "It's called a handshake. It's a human greeting."

"I'm going to explore the forest a bit," Starscream said abruptly. He had to get started on tracking the Nemesis, and maybe search for energon. Getting away from this flesh creature would be nice too. "Do whatever you want." He turned his back on her, and started to head deep into the woods.

"Can I come?" Luna attempted to follow. "I know these parts. I could show you around."

"No." He didn't stop.

"But aren't you supposed to protect me?' Luna questioned. She kept after him.

"I shall know if you're in danger," Starscream replied. _Which would be very unlikely_, he thought. The human had to run to keep up with his long strides.

"Hey!" she shouted at him. He froze, glaring down at her with furrowed optic ridges. She ignored his glower. "You just come into my life like that, and you take off? I've discoverd an alien species, and you expect me to just sit around my house? Where are you going?" The seeker growled in irritation and snatched the human up in his hand, bringing her up to his furious face plate.

"Listen you..." Her screaming stopped him.

"P-put me down! N-now! Please just put me d-down!" The girl was panicking and he didn't understand why. He narrowed his optics in confusion. He wasn't planning on hurting her, yet.

"What are you squealing about?" He questioned. She had her hands over her eyes. He could feel her shaking in his clutch. She was terrified.

"I-I don't like h-heights! P-please just put me down! I w-won't bother you!" Starscream gently set her down. Her trembling legs threatened to fail her. On the verge of tears she wrapped her arms around herself to stop her shaking. She looked up to find Starscream staring at her. She shamefully looked down and wiped her eyes before any tears could escape.

"I'm afraid of heights, okay. Don't laugh at me." Starscream couldn't stop his smirk. He was tempted to pick her up again, but he didn't want her screams to attract attention. He chuckled at her pathetic fear.

"I should take you for a flight some time," he said maliciously.

"No way!" Luna protested.

"Listen, just stay here for now," his voice was commanding. "I will be back later. I need to search the area for any signs of danger," he lied.

"Fine," Luna stated stubbornly. She stomped her way back to the trailer. Starscream rolled his opitics.

"Humans," he stated in irritation. Once she was gone he jumped into the air, transformed into jet mode, and took off.

**A/N: Give me all your reviews and if anyone is interested, go listen to 'Dusk 'Til Dawn' by the Creepshow. It fits Starscream perfectly and they're just an awesome band. Hooray for shameless advertising!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: To get an idea of Luna's singing voice, listen to Sarah Brightman's cover of 'The Music of the Night.' She won't sound exactly like her, but Sarah Brightman is a major influence on Luna.**

Chapter 3

"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation..." Luna sang in her bedroom. 'The Music of the Night' was her song of choice for her audition. She desperately wanted to get into Crane School of Music. It wasn't too far away from home; only fourty minutes away so she could save money not living on campus, and keep her job at the record store. It was way more realistic than Juliard. She had wanted to be a classical singer ever since she first saw "The Phantom of the Opera" live on Broadway. She had been rehearsing for hours; she needed to be perfect.

It had been two days since she met Starscream. The alien spent most of his time in the woods behind her house. She had no idea what he could be doing. He mostly hid in the thicket of trees, or flew off somewhere. She had managed to sneak a look at him transforming. It was one of the coolest things she had ever seen.

She had been having nightmares. She never had nightmares. It was the same one three times this week. Piercing, purple eyes. A cold, terrifying voice telling her she was unworthy. _You deserve to die! _She recalled and shuddered. It was probably nothing. She was letting her fear of Megatron get to her. That had to be it.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," she assured herself. Starscream promised he wouldn't let anything happen to her or her mother. She hoped he wouldn't.

The sound of a jet landing startled her, causing her to look out her bedroom window. He never landed this close. He usually transformed further back and then walked the rest of the way, so her mother wouldn't see nor hear him. It was a good thing she was at work. Luna thought she should give him a piece of her mind. She dropped her sheet music and went out the back door, crossing her backyard to the woods. She found him sitting on a big boulder, deep in thought.

"You should be more carfeful," the Goth girl scolded the Cybertronian. She was practically wagging her finger at him. "What if my mom was here?"

"But she isn't," Starscream idly returned.

"What if someone else saw you? People hunt here."

"Isn't this your property?" the seeker questioned.

"Yes... well no. We rent the place. Anyway, that doesn't stop the scumbags around here. They still hunt illegally; even game that's out of season."

"You have nothing to worry about," Starscream assured, lazily reclining on the boulder. "No one was around. I've made sure."

"Good," Luna stated. "Where do you go most of the time?"

"That is none of your business."

"Well then," Luna folded her arms. "Maybe we should get to know each other."

"My only interest in you is keeping you out of Megatron's clutches," Sarscream explained in his guttural voice. "And how you are able to survive with dark energon."

"Why do you sound so threatening all the time?" Luna demanded.

"Because you irritate me, fleshling! If you didn't bother me so much..." he froze when he heard some crackling in the bushes. He braced himself, but it was only a cat. It ran towards Luna.

"It's just Rusty," she said. "He's from the farm up the road." The orange furball rubbed against her legs, demanding her attention. She bent to her knees to pet him. "Who's a good kitty?" she cooed. He was getting hair all over her black clothes. She bent down to kiss him on the nose. There was a flash of violet where her lips had touched, and the cat let out a terrible cry. He jumped back, falling lifeless on the ground. Starscream looked on, a sly grin spread across his face plate. His plan suddenly became easier. Luna started to panic.

"What happened!?" she cried. "I have to take him to the vet!" She deeply cared about animals. She went to scoop him up, but Starscream slammed his hand on the ground between them to stop her. The girl almost toppled over from the impact.

"No!" he said. "The humans won't know what's wrong with him. They won't be able to help him; he is already dead."

"You have to help him!" Tears streamed down the girl's face, ruining her make-up.

"I can't do anything about it. This is a small creature. The dark energon spread quickly. It's too late." He sighed in annoyance at her tears. "Stop crying about it. You're weak!" Luna ran around the giant hand to the poor animal, and bent down to examine him. He wasn't breathing. He really was dead. She wept over him. Starscream silently watched. He didn't know whether to be disgusted or amazed. These inferior creatures cared for even lesser beings?

"I have to tell Fred," Luna choked through her sobs.

"And what exactly are you going to say?' Starscream demanded, his voice rather harsh. The girl wiped her tears.

"I'll put him in the road, and say I accidentally hit him. I still need to own up to it."

She gently picked the cat up, and carried out her plan. The old farmer was upset, but he forgave the girl once he saw her tears. He knew she didn't mean it. At least she came to tell him. Most people would have kept driving.

Luna trudged back to the silver mech. Her eyes were red, but she had ceased crying. They gazed at each other. Starscream spoke first.

"If it makes you feel better, he was killed instantly." It didn't make her feel better.

"What was that?" her voice was raspy from her mourning.

"Dark energon," he simply stated. "I guess that's how you activate it."

"But, I've kissed people before and that hasn't happened," she argued, thinking of her mother and a boyfriend she once had. Starscream thought for a minute, stroking his chin.

"Perhaps it has been dormant until now. Maybe until you've reached a certain age." If that were the case, Starscream assumed the corrupted substance could very well be killing her as they spoke.

"My eighteenth birthday was two days ago." She hung her head. _What if I had kissed my mom? _Luna thought in horror. She would have to avoid it from now on. Would she ever be able to kiss anyone again?

Curiosity got the better of Starscream. He was a scientist after all.

"Why do you mourn for something so insignificant?" he asked. That caused her head to snap up. Luna was almost offended.

"Rusty was a beloved pet to a lonely old man," she explained holding back a little anger. "He was also an innocent animal."

"It just seems rather pathetic," the seeker ridiculed. "You flesh creatures are so weak." Heat bubbled up inside her. Luna was sure her red face was showing through her white foundation. She clenched her teeth, clearly about to lose her temper. She did her best to hold it back. She had to remind herself she was better than this. Starscream awaited the explosion in anticipation. He was sure a tempremental human would be hilarious.

"Pathe... whatever!" she stormed away to avoid losing it. This was all beginning to be too much for her. Starscream raised an optic ridge.

"Where are you..."

"Leave me alone!" she shouted. He watched her slam the door.

"Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea," the former Decepticon said to himself. Once again, his big mouth got him in trouble. It would be easier for him to have her on his side. Insulting her like that would only push her away. As much as he didn't want to, he would have to start being a little bit nicer to her. He let out an exasperated groan. This species was very infuriating.

Maybe he could take her on an energon run tomorrow. He had found an untouched mine not far from here. She was constantly wondering where he went, so maybe it would finally shut her up. And just maybe he could attempt to get some of that dark energon from her, now that he figured out how to activate it. That would mean she would have to kiss him. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

"Kiss an organic?" He shuddered a bit. Well, the blood of Unicron would be worth it.

"Just be patient and bide your time. Soon, everything will fall into place." He would either kill his former master, though he wasn't quite sure how he would do it, or be in his favor once again. He would have to get him alone somehow. That would be difficult. Megatron was no fool. He would have to make sure the Decepticons would never know it was he who would finally overthrow him, if he wanted to be leader. Too bad no one would know of his glory should he succeed. Megatron was ruthless, but Starscream was the leader's equal now, at least he hoped he would be. That dark matter was practically his.

He decided he needed a walk. He really didn't like sitting around in this one spot. Luna's singing reached his audio as soon as he stood up. He listened for a moment. He wasn't sure if this was a human or Luna quirk. Either way, the sound wasn't unpleasant.

He listened a bit longer before stepping away.

**A/N: I am so so so so sorry I fictionally killed a cat. Don't hate me. I already feel bad about it, even though it's not real. :( Anyway, please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Goth girl stood in front of her locker in school, getting her books ready for her next two classes. She had no idea why she had been on edge lately. The smallest things would set her off. She had almost snapped at her mother while she read her annual astrology chart. Luna had always had a temper, but she was always able to control it. She did her best to be polite and to never snap at anyone. Now it just seemed to be getting more difficult.

Could it be the dark energon? Starscream had told her it was the blood of an ancient being of chaos. She didn't want to use it as an excuse, but she couldn't think of any other reason. She decided she would just have to try harder.

"Hey Luna," a voice interrupted her thoughts, making her jump. She turned around to find the guy she had eyes on standing there. She blushed at her jitteriness.

"Oh, hi Derek," she greeted. Her heart fluttered. The dark haired boy was the bassist in a band. Of course they weren't famous, but they were known around the county.

"Could I borrow your Physics book? I left mine at home, and Mr. Bates'll give me detention if I show up without it again."

"Yeah, sure," Luna gladly handed him her book. She didn't need it right now anyway. The touch of thier hands sent a jolt through her body. "I just need it back by eighth period."

"Cool, I'll definately have it back by then. You're awesome Luna. Thanks!" Derek smiled at her and walked away. She nearly melted.

"He thinks I'm awesome!" she accidentally said out loud. It was unfortunate, because Tracey Scott was standing right there. She had witnessed the whole thing.

"Aww, ugly freak has a crush," Luna whipped around to face the snobby red-head.

"Tracey, we're seniors now. Grow up," Luna said calmly. Tracey merely gave a derisive snort.

"Says the one who's crushing on a guy like a thirteen year old. Whatever. Derek isn't interested in you, so go cut yourself, freak!" That overwhelming anger filled her again. Every time Tracey tried to provoke Luna before she had always been the bigger person, and walked away. This time was different.

"Just leave me alone, you little bitch!" Luna shouted. Tracey looked appalled. Every head in the school hallway turned in the girl's direction. It was Luna's luck the pricipal was right behind her. His booming voice startled them both.

"Well, well, Miss Atkins. Miss Scott. I think you two need to pay a visit to my office."

...

Luna sat before Pricipal Wells, his large desk separating them. Her rage had simmered down a bit. The balding man was eyeing her, probably judging her. Black lipstick, spiked collar, a hoop in her left nostril, and Siouxsie Sioux hair. She knew what he thought. Small town with small minds.

"Now miss Atkins, why were you shouting at Miss Scott?"

"She always bothers me, but I've always ignored her before," Luna tried to make her case. This was her first time in the Pricipal's office, so she might be let off easy. "I guess it all just built up. I've been having a bad day. I know that doesn't excuse my behavior, and I'm really sorry." _Sorry I got caught, _she thought bitterly. Wells sighed.

"Luna, I know you and your mother have a hard time. It's not easy coming from a broken home..."

"Whoa, whoa," Luna intterupted, extremely offended. It was happening again. "I do not come from a broken home. My mother raised me well, and she's a damn good mother!"

"Miss Atkins..."

"No. People like you piss me off!" She heated and simmered like a tea kettle. This wasn't like her. She had never had an outburst to an authority figure before, but it really was the truth. And she just couldn't stop. "Is it because I don't have a father? Well, let me tell you, we have lived a good life without that loser. Yes, my mom works two jobs and we struggle to get by, but we're happy. Have I ever been in trouble before? No. I've never been in a fight, and I always do my homework, unlike that bitch outside. So you just shut your mouth!" Her breathing was heavy. It felt so good to get it all out. The good feeling was quickly replaced with dread.

"Miss Atkins, you have detention and I'm calling your mother." Wells handed her a slip he had signed. Then he picked up the office phone and dialed. Luna picked up her bag and walked out. What had she done?

"Hello, Ms. Stevie Atkins? I'm calling about your daughter." Luna didn't stick around for the rest of the conversation

...

"You're late," Starscream lazily greeted the human. He leaned against the boulder in a nonchalant manner.

"I had detention," Luna replied. "I freaked out on this girl and the pricipal." His laughter startled her. It reminded her of a mad scientist.

"So you've finally let it out."

"Waddaya mean?"

"You held your temper back when I made you angry, remember? Too bad I didn't get to see it." She put her hands on her hips.

"And you're not gonna," she asserted. "I have a temper, but I rarely lose it." Starscream huffed.

"Your pride will be your undoing," his low voice sent a shiver up Luna's back. If only she knew the irony behind his words. The seeker changed topics. "Okay, I have decided to take you on an energon run." He said. The girl perked up at that.

"Really?" She would finally be able to see where he went all day.

"Yes, there is a mine not far from here. However, I don't have the means to process it. I'll just have to take it in its crystalized form." The human had no idea what he was talking about, but she decided it would be interesting and she wanted to avoid her mother's wrath a bit longer.

"Okay, lead the way," Luna said with enthusiasm. She was confused when Starscream didn't move.

"It will be quicker if we fly," was the seeker's dreaded response.

"Oh, no," Luna protested. "No way! I'm not going." She crossed her arms, planting her feet firmly on the ground. She had never been flying before, and she could barely climb the rope in gym class without feeling woozy.

"Oh, yes you are." Before she could run away, Starscream plucked her up by her coat between his thumb and forefinger. She shrieked in terror. "You are getting over this fear whether you like it or not!" Without warning he tossed her high into the air; she screamed louder. He jumped up himself, transformed, and caught her in his cockpit. He closed the glass cover and he took off at full speed, strapping her in tightly.

Luna dug her black nails into the seat in compleat fear. He was going really fast. Too fast!. The momentum forced her body back against the seat. His engine nearly deafened her ears. She was breathing hard, a nausiating sensation in her stomache.

"What the hell, dude!" she yelled over the loud roar of the F-16 engine.

"Just sit back and keep quiet," said Starscream.

"Could you slow down a bit!"

"Sorry, no can do," he taunted with cruel laughter. Scaring humans was too much fun!

Luna closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. She was on the verge of a panic attack. Looking at the view was out of the question or she would lose her lunch, or pass out, or both! A few minutes later, to Luna it felt like forever, Starscream tossed her out, transformed back, and caught her before she hit the ground. If it was possible, she was paler than her make-up. Her already messy hair was all over the place. He felt her trembling.

The seeker set her down. She fell on her butt, gasping for air.

"Just gimme a minute," she said, feeling sick to her stomache. She remained on the ground until it passed. She was eventually able to stand up.

"I think I'll fly upside down on the way back," Starscream chuckled.

"Don't even think about it!" Luna snapped. She looked about her. They were deep in the woods, surrounded by trees. She took in the scent of pine, exhaling in content.

"It's just up this way. Folllow me." She did as he said. He had checked the place out yesterday. There was crystalized energon embedded in a big rock formation. They approached it with caution. "Wait here." The seeker peeked his head around the other side and saw a buch of Vehicons mining energon which was rightfully his. He caught sight of some energon cubes by their feet.

"Scrap!" he silently cursed. He crouched low on the one side, back pressed against the rock. Luna was right beside him.

"What is it?" She fearfully wondered.

"Six Vehicons," he kept his voice low. "Megatron's minions." Luna's green eyes grew wide; she recalled being attacked by one.

"What do we do?" she asked. The seeker got an idea. He really needed to refuel, and there was energon practically gift wrapped for him. Vehicons were easily disposable, but he was out numbered.

"Luna, I need you to kiss me," he regretfully suggested. The method of activating the dark energon was less than pleasing to him.

"What!" she said, almost too loud.

"Shhh! The dark energon," he explained. "The boost will allow me to take them all out with ease. I need those energon cubes."

"You need to take me to dinner first," Luna joked. Starcream growled.

"This is no time to be cracking..."

"Hey!" A loud voice startled them. They had been caught. The Vehicon had his blaster ready. Starscream grabbed Luna and made a run for it. The Decepticon trooper fired, the seeker dodged it and hid behind another boulder. He held the girl flat in his palm.

"Now, Luna!"

"Not until you admit you're stupid for bringing me here," Luna demanded.

"We don't have time..." The sound of them transforming sounded in the distance. Soon they were surrounded by aerial Eradicons. The seekers wings dropped.

"I'm stupid! I'm stupid!" Starscream yelped. "Happy?" He brought his palm up to his face plate, scrunching it up in disgust. Not knowing what would happen, Luna quickly kissed him on the mouth. Soon they were surrounded in a violet glow. Before Luna knew what was going on, she fused with Starscream's spark. The Vehicons started shooting to not much effect.

The power flooded through Starscream; he could feel it. The blood of Unicron ran through his veins once again. His eyes glowed purple, and so did the area around his spark chamber. Luna could see, hear, and feel everything Starscream did. It was as if they were one being. Starscream lunged forward and took down one of the Vehicons with one swipe, indigo liquid staining his talons. He was faster and stronger. A few of them transformed, and he took them out effortlessly. He punched and clawed; it felt so good. Their blows did little damage to him. He was unstoppable. He fired his blaster, which was glowing purple as well, to finish the rest of them.

"Yeeeessss!" he screamed at the sky, completely intioxicated. He gathered up the energon cubes, transformed into jet mode, and flew away. They arrived back home faster than the journey there. He placed the cubes by a tree, then examined his servos. He brought a hand to his glowing spark chamber, wondering how long it would last. He hadn't expected her to fuse with his spark. Suddenly he felt a pinch of fear, and excitement out of no where. These emotions weren't coming from him. Then a warm, fluttering sensation took their place.

"Strange," he thought aloud. These must be coming from Luna. He felt himself coming down from his high. The glow around his spark faded, and Luna fell out. He caught her in his hands. She sat up, appearing disoriented. She put her hand on her dizzy head.

"What was that?" she groaned, looking up at him.

"That was success!" The seeker couldn't keep the malicious grin of his face. He let out wild laughter. He clearly had some after effects.

"No, I mean we just fused together."

"Yes," Starscream thought for a minute. "It works in mysterious ways. What did you feel when that happened? Anything strange? Did you feel any emotions that weren't your own?" It was Luna's turn to think.

"I.. just felt like I was all powerful. Like when I took out those Vehicons, it was like I was high or something." Starscream furrowed his optic ridges in confusion.

"You took out the Vehicons?"

"Well, it felt like I did. Like _we_ did." That was the wierdest thing she had ever experienced.

"Hmmm..." Starscream trailed off in thought. Luna gasped.

"What time is it? I gotta be in the house before Mom comes home!" The seeker gently set her down. She bolted for the trailer. Starscream sat on his boulder, thinking deeply.

"We took out the Vehicons..?"

**A/N: I hope that wasn't too weird. I wanted to leave out all of the creepiness from the 'Kiss Players' manga. And in case you're wondering, yes Luna's mother is named after Stevie Nicks. Because I can! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"I am so sorry, Mom," Luna apologized to her clearly unhappy mother. She glared at her daughter with her arms crossed. "She just pushed me too far."

"And what's your excuse for mouthin' off to Principal Wells?" Stevie demanded.

"He thinks I'm a bad kid from a broken home, so I told him off. I know I shouldn'ta done that, but he just made an assumption based on his own biases." There was a moment of dreadful silence.

"So, am I really a damn good mother?" Her mother smiled. Luna let out a relieved laugh at that.

"If you let me off the hook, you totally are!"

"Well, you're an adult now," Stevie shrugged. "I can't exactly ground you anymore. I know you're a good kid, Luna. It's just that I was completely surprised to get a call from the principal."

"I know," Luna added. "This is really the first time I've been in trouble. I promise it won't happen again."

"It better not," Stevie warned. "If you start slippin' on me, I might have to kick you out. Maybe you should start taking my yoga classes to help with that temper."

"I don't know, Mom."

"It's not healthy when you bottle everything up. That's what caused that incident today. Honey, you don't have to prove anything."

"Mom, I'm fine. I can handle it," Luna assured. "I just need to go sing. My audition is in three days." Her mother sighed.

"Okay, go do your thing. Just think about it, okay?" Luna nodded and walked away.

...

"What's that symbol on your chest?" Luna asked the Cybertronian. They were in his usual spot. She sat on the grass while Starscream paced, deep in thought. The question startled him to a stop. He couldn't let her know it was the Decepticon insignia. It was a good thing they hadn't run into the Autobots yet. He quickly thought up a false reply.

"All Cybertronians have them."

"Do they all look like that?"

"Some are different. Enough about me. Why do I hear you singing all the time?" he quickly changed the subject to save his chassis. Her curiosity created inconveniences for him.

It was a casual day for Luna. No make-up, dark jeans, and a _Bauhaus_ t-shirt. Her raven hair barely fell shoulder length when it wasn't teased up. It had officially been spring for quite some time, but it only now started to warm up.

"I love it," she answered his question. "Singing is my life. It gives me this... euphoric feeling. Even just listening to music; I can't live without it. I wanna sing for a living, it'll get me outta this white trash town. Music is my high." Gushing about her passion left her feeling strangely exposed. She asked Starscream a question in return. "Tell me more about you. What was your life like on Cybertron?" The seeker was hesitant. Surely sharing a little bit wouldn't hurt. Just a little information should appease her curiosity. If he kept too much from her, she would pester him for joors and he certainly didn't want that.

"I was a commander of an elite team of energon seekers," he said with an air of superiority, sitting on his boulder.

"Lemme guess, they seek energon?" Luna joked.

"Obviously," Starscream replied. "I was also a scientist. I experimented with certain technologies and experimentation for the war." He shut his mouth once he realized he made a blunder. Another slip of the glossa caused by his constant bragging.

"I thought you said you were neutral," the girl questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, well," the seeker fumbled. "I was an Autobot at one point," he lied. "Until I realized I wanted nothing to do with either cause any longer." Luna shifted to a more comfortable position. The heat of the sun's rays felt nice against her back.

"Wow, a scientist. So, were you a nerdy kid?" He quizzically looked at her. "When you were younger. I can imagine it, little geeky Starscream," she giggled. The silver mech rolled his optics. Luna continued. "Did you have any friends or family? You must miss your planet a lot." She seemed to have hit a sore spot, as he flinched. He tried to brush it off, though Luna caught it. The past came back to him all at once. Starscream shook his helm, pushing it back.

"I don't wish to discuss it." Luna was taken aback.

"Sorry, it's just you never tell me anything personal."

"I am here for one purpose and one only, to keep you safe from Megatron, not to make nice with humans," he said. Luna looked down at her lap.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." She assumed something from the past must be haunting him. They sat in silence for a while.

Starscream had spent millennia trying to forget, and something as simple as a human question brought back all of the grievous memories. The war had taken so much from both sides. From him. He thought he had been over it_._Megatron had even brought them up on occasion and he barely took notice._ Don't think about them now_, he fought against his own painful reminiscence. Why was this creature able to procure his long forgotten hurt?

...

Later that day, the strange duo flew to Vermont to scavange another energon mine. Luna had slowly been getting over her fear of heights. She didn't feel woozy this time, but she did scream when Starscream did a few barrel roles. She noticed he liked to show off.

There wasn't any sign of Decepticons nor Autobots. They entered the mine and Starscream started gathering the embedded crystals while Luna wandered off. There was a small lake near by. Luna was sorely tempted. She just had to get in that first swim of the season. She glanced back at the mine enterance. Not seeing her robotic companion, she stripped down to her underwear and ran straight in. She gasped at the cold water on her skin. She knew how to fix that. The girl held her breath and plunged under the surface, bursting out in enjoyment.

"Whoo!" It felt good to be swimming again. Her burst of joy reached Starscream's audio receptors.

"What the..?" He looked about him, noticing the human wasn't around. He quickly ran out of the mine, crystalized energon in his servos, to find her splashing about in the lake. "What are you doing?"

"Swimming. Duh!" Luna simply stated.

"Well, I'm finished. We can leave now."

"We'll leave when _I'm_ finished," she asserted, swimming out to where her feet couldn't touch.

"Hurry up!" he snapped. Luna dove under and replied once she surfaced.

"The more you push, the longer I stay in." Starscream growled and set the enrgon down.

"Just indulge her," he said to himself. She couldn't stay in there forever. He stood on the bank with his servos crossed, tapping his pede in impatience. To his surprise, she swam around for a whole fifteen kliks. _How could she possibly be entertained by this for so long?_ He internally bemoaned. Then he thought about it. There had been times when he would fly around for long periods of time, doing flips and other stunts for pure entertainment. Maybe their species had more in common than he thought. It still changes nothing. His race would always be more advanced. Her voice dragged him out of his mind.

"Hey, Starscream! Come in!"

"I'd rather not," he called back to her.

"I wanna try something!"

"No," he insisted. Luna was persistant.

"If you come in for just a minute, we can leave right after." The seeker groaned in irritation, and waded towards her. While she was submerged from the neck down, the water only came to his knees.

"You do realize I could just pick you up, don't you?"

"That's exactly what I want you to do," she said. She recieved a perplexed stare. "Pick me up, I wanna jump off your hand." He raised an optic ridge then scooped her out of the water.

"When did you get so brave?" he asked, holding her up to his face plate.

"I haven't yet," she responded. "Lower your hand a little." He did as she asked. "A little more." He lowered her to his abdomen. She clearly hadn't rid herself of her phobia completely. "Okay, good." Luna stood up with her arms over her head, palms together. She was hesitant. Sucking in a big breath to steady herself, she pushed herself off the mech's palm and dove in. The seeker merely gazed down where she had landed, watching as she resurfaced.

"That was awesome!" she exclaimed. The seeker let out a sigh. _What have I been reduced to? _He woefully thought to himself. _I have gone from second in command of the Decepticons to a human's play thing. _Luna began swimming toward the shore, so he followed. She grabbed her clothes off the bank and pulled them on, soaking them with her waterlogged body.

"Just lemme pee real quick before we go," she told the Cybertronian. Starscream groaned again. Humans had way too many needs. The girl ran to squat in the woods. She was on her way back when she ran into a giant black figure. She froze in fear, while magenta eyes bore menacingly into her. _Please be an Autobot_, she hoped. Somehow she didn't think it was.

"My scanners can't be right," it spoke. It was female. "Dark energon inside a human? I think Megatron would find this very interesting." Luna stumbled back and fell down, trembling. The female Cybertronian lowered her face to the human. "I think I'll give you a head start. It's no fun when my prey is too easy to catch." Luna swiftly kicked the creature in the optic and bolted back to the lake.

"Arrrggghhh," the femme cried out. She gathered herself, and transformed into her spider mode. "I only hope Megatron will let me have you once he's through." The chase was on.

"Starscream!" Luna shrieked. The seeker turned to look in her direction, alert at the sound of her voice. She came out of the thicket of trees, a shot of web barely missed her. "I think we should do that thing!" He ran to snatch her up, and the wretch he hated as much as Megatron came bursting out of the woods.

"Well, well," she said. "Tell me, Starscream. Are you sucking up to the Autobots now?" If Luna wasn't afraid for her life, she would be marveling at how cool the spider bitch looked.

"Like you're sucking up to Megatron, Airachnid? No," Starscream bitterly replied. His spark filled with heated hatred. She responded with a chuckle.

"Hand over the human. I saw her first." She held a servo out for her.

"Finders keepers," his eyes fell on her cracked optic while Luna protested something about not being property. "What? Did this little human do that to you?" he taunted. The femme sneered.

"I think we should do the thing now!" At Luna's suggestion he held her up to kiss him, and the fusion began. Airachnid couldn't stop to watch the amazing sight before her. Starscream dodged her web, and got a puch in. He kicked her jaw and clawed at her armor, stronger than before.

"How I would love to finish you!" Starscream growled, his now purple optics mad with power.

Luna felt burning hatred. _How dare this traitor! _That thought wasn't hers. _How dare she abondon me! How dare she humiliate me! I shall have your spark, Airachnid!" _The overwhelming rage consumed her. It had to be coming from Starscream. An image of Airachnid charging at her flashed across her mind. It took her a minute to realize it was a memory. A memory that was not hers. "_Airachnid, you traitor!" _She heard Starscream yell, helpless on the ground as she ran passed him. Then another voice filled her head.

You don't deserve my power! You are unworthy vermin!

Airachnid was no match for Starscream, he had an unfair advantage. She retreated into the thicket of trees. The blood of Unicron fueled Starscream's anger. He too heard that chilling voice in his head.

"_Kill her! Carry out my deeds! _Without thinking, he charged into the forest looking for her, tearing down tree limbs as he ran. Once he felt it wearing off, his own senses found their way back to him. He realized what he was doing and ceased. She was gone. He needed to get out of here before either of the two factions detected the energy. He grabbed the energon crystals he left by the bank then took off into the air in jet mode.

...

Back at the house, Starcsream and Luna had a full discussion over what had happened. The former Decepticon had come to the conclusion that they had seen each others memories and heard each others thoughts, as well as the thoughts of Unicron. It greatly fascinated and puzzled him. These discoveries had him giddy with knowledge.

He had felt Luna pitifully pining for some human and she had felt his searing hatred for Airachnid. He would have to be careful, or his true motives could be revealed the next time they fused.

"You have some kind of history with that spider bitch?" Luna asked. "I felt how much you hated her."

"She left me for scrap!" he bitterly spat, gritting his dentals. "She is the lowest scum of Cybertron. She's nothing but an opportunist!" His optics flared; he was clearly furious. Luna decided to leave it at that.

"It's okay. Calm down," Luna tried to soothe him. "I don't think she'll try to mess with us again." He turned his helm in her direction.

"Us?"

"Well, yeah. I am wanted by the Decepticons, right"

"Right." _Now you really are_, the seeker thought.

"And if it wasn't for me, she wouldn'ta run away. You're better off with me." She had no idea where that burst of narcissism came from. The girl was feeling very good about herself, knowing a race of giant robots needed a little human for power.

The seeker's ego was hurt, knowing he won his past two battles with the aid of a human. _No, _he thought. _With the aid of a superior being, Unicron. _And he had his power as well as the ability to share the ancient god's thoughts. He swallowed his pride to indulge the human.

"I suppose, but I don't think she would give up so easily," he said. Luna wanted to get off the subject. She had been so tense with everything that was going on. The pressures of becoming an adult, her constant temper, her audition, and to top it all off she was wanted by an alien robot race because of her science fiction blood. A girl could only take so much. It looked like Starscream could use a break too. He had been dedicating all his time to protecting her.

"I have an audition to get into this music school," she said. "I could use some practice singing in front of an audience and I think you should learn about some Earth culture." The only two people who had heard her sing were her mother and her music teacher. Starscream had heard her practicing, but this time she was actually offering to give a show.

"Sure, go for it," the seeker absently agreed, not really caring. He had been staring off into space, standing with his servos folded. Luna climbed up onto the boulder Starscream usually sat on. This would be her stage. The Cybertronian still greatly towered over her.

"Okay, so I have to sing this song in front of these judges and then they'll decide whether I'm good enough to get in. I've been practicing for months," Luna explained. Her nerves had her rambling. "I mean, I'm no Renee Fleming, but hopefully I'll be okay. I will be singing 'The Music of the Night.' It's from my favorite musical, 'The Phantom of the Opera.'" Starscream waited patiently for her to begin.

She was apprehensive. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and began. She was quiet at first, pretty mousey but as she continued she seemed to forget the world around her. She lost herself in the seductive song. She was the only person in the universe.

Starscream studied her like a specimen. The way she seemed intoxicated by this action intrigued him. She had a sweet soprano voice, but he was more interested in the way she performed. She closed her eyes at the long notes, let her hands float at the end of her gracefully moving arms. It was a bizzarre sight for him, as he assumed all humans were clumsy. Now he understood what she meant when she had said music was her high. At the final note she came back to reality.

"Well done," he said half-heartedly once she had finished. He didn't know much about Earth's standards in music, but she sounded good to him. "They would be fools not to accept you."

"Really?" Luna squealed excitedly. He nodded. Well if an advanced alien thought she was good, then the judges surely would too. She hopped off the boulder to approach the seeker.

"Thank you," she said sincerly

"For what?" he curiously wondered.

"For protecting us. I know it must be hard on you, spending all your time here. I can guess you've been through a lot and that's why your so threatening, yet you dedicate your time to a less advanced species. Thank you for keeping my family safe, Starscream."

"Uh," he was too stunned to form words. "You're welcome." Luna smiled and lightly layed her hand upon his leg to show her appreciation. He stiffened at the soft touch, looking down at her in surprise. She lingered a bit before starting for the house as heard her mother pull in. Starscream went further back into the trees so he wouldn't be seen.

"Oh, Luna. You are a poor judge of character," he said once she was gone. Now that Airachnid knew about her, she really _was_ in danger and so was his plan. Megatron would want her now. He had to be extra careful when they went on their trips. He might have to wait it out a bit longer. Let Megatron be assured there was no threat.

A quick message asking to make ammends should do it. If he came alone, he would kill him. Could he do it? He wasn't sure. His ego started to deflate. It would be difficult, no doubt. If his former master didn't come alone, he would offer the girl up to him. It would all work out. It quickly built up again. Either one of these options would be very beneficial, he would let it all play out. He would be in his rightful place once again.

Once in recharge, he had sweet dreams of ruling over the Decepticons. They all bowed before him.

**A/N: I've already mentioned Sarah Brightman's cover of 'The Music of the Night' in a previous chapter. For those who don't know, Renee Fleming went to Crane School of Music(Luna is applying for this school) which is a part of Suny Potsdam. Fleming is now a famous opera. She was the first opera singer to sing the National Anthem at the 2014 Super Bowl. I'm not a Crane student, but I do go to Potsdam and it makes me happy that she went to the same school as me. Another interesting tidbit, Wes Craven, horror movie director (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream) went to Clarkson which is in the same town as my college. The Elm street in Potsdam N.Y. is _the_ Elm street. (squeals)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Luna returned home from her audition in high spirits. She had done well. She could barely hold her excitement in. The judges were pretty stoic, but they had to be for everyone. Now all she had to do was wait for that acceptance letter. She skipped up the front steps, getting her keys ready, yet she was surprised to find the door already unlocked.

She entered, finding her mother frantically running around the house. There was a suitcase by the door.

"Mom, what's going on?" she worridly asked. Her mother ceased, not noticing when her daughter came in.

"Your grandma's just had a stroke," Stevie panted. A shocked expression flashed on Luna's face, her euphoria drained instantly.

"Is she okay?"

"She's in the hospital. I'm going to New York."

"Now?"

"Yes, and I need you to stay here," Stevie was clearly exasperated. She came over and placed her hands on her daughters shoulders. "I need you to watch the house."

"O-okay," Luna reluctantly agreed. She felt her stomach sinking. "How long ya gonna be in the city?

"I don't know. Probably until she gets out of the hospital." Stevie squeezed her shoulders. "I've left you enough money for some groceries and this month's rent. Lock the doors at night. The shot gun's in the closet."

"I know. I'll be safe." They embraced, and twenty minutes later her mother drove off. Luna dropped herself on the sofa with her hands over her face, letting a few tears fall down her pallid cheeks.

"She'll be okay," she assured herself. "Everything's gonna be alright." She had taken her mother's advice about positive thinking and affirmations.

...

It had been a few days and Luna's grandmother seemed to be recovering nicely. Stevie wanted to stay until she was out of the hospital. She might have to think about putting her in a home if she couldn't function on her own again.

When Luna came home from school she jumped for joy. Derek had asked her to the prom. She was completely elated. She actually found the idea of prom to be very stupid, but she couldn't pass up a date with him. The young bassist had started to ask her, but she quickly said 'yes' before he could finish, thinking he was asking her on an ordinary date. It was too late to take it back, though she was happy he had asked her. She went to tell Starscream.

"What is your malfunction?" he asked when she came up to him, barely able to speak.

"This guy I really like jusked asked me to the prom." The Cybertronian had no idea what she was talking about. Luna caught that showing on his face plate. "It's like a dance, but people make way too big a deal about it." He still appeared clueless. She elaborated. "It's a human event for high-school juniors and seniors. We get dressed up, spend an ungodly amount of money to spend time with people we see everyday, dance, eat, and usually we go with a date. And we vote for a prom king and queen." Starscream raised an optic ridge.

"Your rulers are chosen by election?" he asked. He was leaning against a tall tree, servos folded.

"No," the human laughed. "Well this country is democratic, but I'm talking about prom. It's not real. They're not really royalty. It's just a petty popularity contest so insecure girls can feel special for one night. It's all really stupid, I know." She suddenly had a sweet image of Tracey Scott receiving the title of prom queen then having it ruined with a bucket of pig's blood.

"It does seem quite ridiculous, and you appear to think as well. If so, then why are attending?"

"Because Derek asked me," Luna answered. Starscream narrowed his optics in confusion. Luna continued. "I wasn't planning on going, but I like this guy _a lot._ I've been dying to go on a date with him." She couldn't stop her girlish giggle. She was never this girly and she would often scoff at other girls for gushing over guys, but she couldn't contain her glee. The seeker merely rolled his optics. This species had strange customs that greatly mystified him.

"I bought this new movie trivia card game yesterday," Luna said, pulling a deck of multi-colored cards out of her bag. The Cybertronian came to her mind the minute she layed eyes on them. "Wanna play?"

"I don't care for Earth games," Starscream responded.

"Aw, c'mon. All you do is sit out here and search for energon. It'll help ya get to know a little Earth culture."

"I don't want to." He turned his back to her. Luna sighed, then an idea hit her. From their fusions, she had been able to figure out more about the alien before her, but she didn't need them to know he thought very highly of himself. She decided to challenge his arrogance with her own.

"Y'know, I am a big movie buff. Especially classic horror movies."

"And your point is?" The seeker nonchalantly demanded.

"Throw me any movie quote and I'll be able to guess it. Nobody can stump me, not even an advanced alien robot." He turned his helm to glance at her, optics narrowed, a smug look on the human's face. Starscream noticed as he spent more time with her, she seemed just as egotistical as he was.

The girl crossed her arms and began tapping her foot, waiting for an answer. Well, he was eons older than she was, not to mention he came from a far superior race of intelligent beings, and he had nothing better to do at the moment. Though, he didn't have much knowledge of human entertainment.

"I suppose I could indulge you," he gave in, sitting on the ground with his back against the tree. He stretched his slender legs out. Luna held her triumph back, sitting down across from him.

"If you insist," she was sounding more and more like him. The seeker shook it off for now as Luna handed him the stack of cards. She had said she speciaized in horror films. He couldn't understand why fleshlings enjoyed them. He would start with those, then maybe he could stump her with some from other genres. He thumbed through the deck, which proved difficult in his giant claws, looking for the horror section.

"'We belong dead,'" he announced the first one, frowning at the peculiar quote.

"'Bride of Frankenstein,'" Luna immediately knew it. She said it as soon as he quoted the line, smiling innocently. He huffed then went on to the next one.

"'We all go a little mad sometimes.'"

"Psycho.'"

"'If you die in your dreams..."

"Pfft, too easy! 'A Nightmare on Elm Street.'" She guessed before he could finish. Starscream tried harder to find more challenging quotes, furiously shuffling through.

"'It was beauty killed the beast,'" he tried.

"'King Kong,' both the original and the Peter Jackson remake!" Luna couldn't keep the smug look off her face. Then her eyes lit up with a fun idea. "Ooo, let's play 'King Kong!' Pick me up and climb that tree! We'll pretend it's the Empire State Building." The girl's fear of heights appeared to be declining. _Thanks to me_, the seeker thought with pride. He had been taking her flying quite frequently.

"No, I'd like to continue with this," Starscream replied.

"If you wish," Luna complied. He nearly growled out the next quote.

"'Children of the night, what music...'"

"Oh, really?" Luna stopped him. "You're seriously gonna throw a 'Dracula' quote at a Goth girl, and expect her to get it wrong?" She laughed. Now that sounded like something he would say, only it would be science or seeker related in his case. Perhaps their traits are being passed to one another with their fusions? Maybe he was over thinking it.

This time he did growl, and flipped to another section to switch genres.

"'Love means never having to say you're sorry,'" he spat. He did not like the fact that she was getting the better of him.

"Switching to romance, I see. It's 'Love Story,'" Luna said with a hint of haughtiness. "A little too sappy for me."

"'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.'" Luna had to admit, that line sounded chilling in his deep, guttural voice.

"Everyone knows that one," she taunted. "'Gone With the Wind.'" Starscream shoved the cards back in the girl's direction.

"I don't want to play anymore," he said stubbornly.

"C'mon, I was just getting warmed up," Luna half begged, content at defeating him.

"This is just useless information. Your primitive mind could not begin to comprehend the advanced science I have eons of knowledge in." Luna took notice of his crossed servos, and furrowed optic ridges like a spoiled brat who had been told 'no.' The girl had to hold back her laughter. She found the image of a giant robot practically pouting to be quite funny. That somehow brought to mind the day Starscream wouldn't let her tag along with him, and she had stomped back to her house. That stubborness was so like her.

"Look, it's just a game," she tried consoling. "Wanna hear another song?" The seeker huffed.

"I don't care what you do." At his unofficial request, Luna began singing from another musical. 'Chromaggia' from 'Repo! The Genetic Opera.' This one was way more challenging than the last. She was glad she hadn't picked this song for her audition. Not only was it vocally demanding, it was in Italian. It was just barely out of her reach. Hopefully Starscream wouldn't notice. Once again he appeared to be studying her.

...

During the rest of the week, Luna had been preparing for the prom. She had also been spending more time with Starscream. He did seem to be opening up to her a bit. Not much. Just a little about his basic life on Cybertron, and how certain things worked. How the war had started and how it had eventually destroyed his home planet. Nothing really personal. She had been careful not to bring up that one incident when he would refuse to tell her what made him upset.

It had begun to feel normal with him being there. A short time ago the idea of a giant alien, robot in the woods behind her backyard seemed ludicrous. Now he was part of her everyday life. What would it be like when he finally had to leave? _If _he had to leave. How long would Megatron be hunting her? Starscream had assured her he would not find where she was, so long as they never fused near her house or the surge of energy would send the Decepticon sensors off.

The girl had called her mother, telling her about Derek and the prom. Stevie nearly squealed with excitement, demanding every last detail about their encounter. She also took the liberty of mentioning that this must have been one of the many positive outcomes from her astrology reading. Luna rolled her eyes.

It was the day of the prom and she could not contain her excitement. She couldn't care less about prom itself, all she cared about was going out with Derek. Just thinking about him made her heart flutter.

Her hair was extra big tonight, thanks to a fair amount of gel and half a can of hairspray. Usual porceline make-up, thick eye-liner, and blood red lipstick. She painted her nails the same color to match. There was no way she could afford a trip to the salon. Luckily she had skills in this area.

She found a black dress at the local thrift store at a very low price. She cut it up, adding her own personal touches, put some safety pins in it. It was strapless, the hem all raggedly cut up. It covered most of her thighs. She added a velvet choker, the bracelet her mother had given her, and black, lacey, fingerless gloves; fishnet stockings, of course and her black platform boots would help the big height difference between her and Derek. Why did everyone have to be taller than her?

Luna took a long look in the mirror, fixing anything that was out of place. She would definately stand out.

She snatched her coffin bag, and went to show Starscream. The warm evening air enveloped her. She sighed in content. Summer was almost here. Starscream was in his usual spot, big surprise, reclining on his usual boulder.

"So, waddaya think?" she asked.

"I am constantly thinking," he said, turning his helm in her direction. "Perhaps you should be more specific." His tone was condecending, yet light. Luna snorted and rolled her eyes

"How do I look?" she spread her arms out in presentation.

"To be frank, like you've been through a catastrophe and have been deceased for a long time." The girl burst out laughing at his comment.

"Thank you!" His answer meant that she did a good job. She crossed her arms over her chest in a Dracula fashion, giggling. Starscream looked at her in bewilderment. He was beginning to realize she was not like most humans. She was a loner and had different interests. Apparently many of them had their own so-called 'styles.' It was similar in the way Cybertronians would choose their own vehical modes and paint jobs.

The term she mentioned during their movie quote game puzzled him. Once he asked her the meaning of the word 'Goth,' she went into a full lecture. She gave him the entire history, from the Germanic tribe, to European architecture; to expressionist films, gothic art, and literature; then finally the post-punk music movement. The scientist in him found it fascinating, yet that nagging superiority in his processor kept telling him he was wasting his time.

Luna checked the time on her phone. Quarter after seven. She and Derek had agreed to meet at the school at seven-thirty. A limo was out of the question. Luna would have preferred a hearse anyway. The event would start at eight.

"Well, I'd better be going," she announced. "I'm not sure when I'll be back."

"Be sure not to give the boy a kiss, or he will perish," Starscream warned. _Although, one less human, the better, _he thought. Her heart fell a bit in disappointment.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." With that she turned on her heel and headed towards her car. Starscream huffed what sounded like a 'farewell.'

...

Starscream returned to the human dwelling after a quick flight. The air under his wings gave him his fix for the night. He ducked behind his boulder at the sound of a vehicle pulling in the driveway. He recognized it as Luna's car engine. He was surprised that she had returned so soon. She had only been gone for barely a joor.

He leaned closer and perked up his audio receptors. A sorrowful sound reached them. She was crying. He could hear her sobs as she ran up the front steps and slammed the door.

Tears burned her eyes. She threw her bag on the ground and then herself on the sofa, sobbing into a pillow. Long black streaks trailed her cheeks along with her tears. Her make-up had taken her a half hour and it was ruined in seconds.

"That bastard!" she wailed. The seeker heard her cries. Derek had failed to show up. He texted her saying he had changed his mind. _Texted_ her! At the last possible minute. She looked like a fool waiting for him. Of course Tracey, that spoiled skank, couldn't resist taunting the lovesick Goth girl. She was now the laughing stock of the school and she was unwanted by the one she wanted.

After crying for who knows how long, Luna slowly rose off the sofa and went to the kitchen. She opened a cabinet and found half a bottle of her mother's red wine. She snatched it up then headed out the back door. She plopped down next to Starscream on the dewy grass, both backs pressed against the boulder. He narrowed his optics, staring down at her in bewilderment. For once the seeker wasn't sure what to say.

Luna took a swig of wine straight from the bottle, then pressed the cool glass to her fevered forehead.

"He stood me up," she answered his silent question. The warm liquid filled her belly. "Everyone laughed at me."

"Oh," was all he could say. There was no way he could relate to her. Why was she here right now? Surely she didn't expect to be comforted?

"God, I'm so stupid!" the human ridiculed herself. "Why did I crush on him like a little girl?" In a fit of rage, Luna unlaced her boots and chucked them, one after the other, across the yard.

"That bastard!" she cried again. Starscream was taken aback, nearly jumping at her shriek. He watched her, curiously. "How could he do this to me!? If he didn't want to go, he could'a called me earlier, instead of letting me embarass myself in front of the whole school!" She pounded her tiny fists into the ground, a sob tore from her chest. She shook in anger, grinding her teeth.

Taking another drink of wine to calm herself, she pealed her fishnet stockings off, bunching them up and tossing them aside. The feeling of grass under her bare feet brought back a nostalgic feeling of the summers of her childhood. She wasn't so sure she wanted to grow up.

Starscream had finally got what he wanted, to see the human lose her temper and she didn't seem to care. He chortled when she threw her boots, her yelling had drowned him out, but it wasn't as funny as he thought it would be. Really her behavior was pathetic, yet he couldn't help feeling a little pity for her. He cringed at the emotion. _Don't start going soft_, he scolded himself. _You're better than this. For Primus' sake, you were once leader of the Decepticons... before Megatron had to come back and ruin everything for me! _

"Sorry about that. I just needed to get that out," Luna sniffled. The strange duo sat in awkward silence. Starscream tapped his talons on the ground and shifted his pedes, wishing she would leave.

"I've had a crush on him since the end of junior year," Luna continued her rant, calmly this time, much to Starscream's dismay. He meantally groaned. "The feminist in me wanted to ask _him_ out a million times, but I was too shy. I'm so painfully shy, I wanna kick myself for it." She took another swig, the warmth of the alcohol melted her tense muscles. "I've never had much luck with guys. My last boyfriend cheated on me with this preppy chick. I dumped his ass.

"I'm a such a hopeless romantic! I over romanticise everything." She recalled watching how Gomez would not only love, but worship and adore his wife Morticia, and how she wanted someone to treat her that way. Her desire for love burned so intense it was embarassing. "How could I be so stupid, longing after him for so long?" She continued. "I gotta stop fantasizing. Love doesn't happen like it does in the movies. I gotta grow up." She took another drink, then another. She turned her head toward the Cybertronian, the movement made her dizzy.

"Well," Starscream spoke up. He awkwardly cleared his vocalizer. "I'm sure you'll find a suitable mate." _Please go away! _he silently willed.

"I dunno. Maybe I'm better off alone. But I would do anything for love," Luna giggled, feeling a little tipsy. That cheesey Meatloaf song came to mind. Her mother would sing it to her, purposely off key, whenever she felt sad. It would always make her laugh. Whenever it came on the radio, the mother and daughter would belt it out in their worst singing voices. The combined emotions of bliss and sadness came with her memories. She hadn't realized becoming an adult would be so difficult. She began singing the song.

_"And I would do anything for love... Oh, I would do anything for love... Oh, I would do anything for love, but I won't do that. No, I won't do that..."_

"Is this some kind of coping mechanism of yours?" Starscream inquired. He always heard her sing when she was in low spirits or when she was happy.

"Kinda," the girl answered. The alchohol was starting to get to her, for she dug her i-phone out of her bra, and played that song as loud as it would go. Then she jumped up and sang along, belting the lyrics out, not even caring if she sang any wrong notes. She sang both parts, as well as the back up vocals. She danced around looking completely stupid, but she didn't care. She was reliving her childhood.

Starscream looked on in awe. Was this another one of her strange rituals? His optics landed on the bottle in her hand and he burst out laughing. Whatever she was consuming had to be the human equivilant to high-grade energon. The idea that she drowned her sorrows in this intoxicating substance tickled him. Her jerky movements nearly caused him to lose it. She could sing well, but she could not dance. This human was beginning to amuse him.

Luna finished with a bow, her unsteady legs almost made her fall on her face. She had sung through the entire song. She took another swig of wine and sat back down next to her companion. What little energy she had completely drained.

"What in the name of Primus was that?" the seeker demanded after he calmed his mirth.

"My mom and I would sing that song whenever we were in a bad mood," Luna replied. She yawned. The warm wine resting in her belly made her sleepy and caused her cheeks to burn red. "It's so cheesey and over-the-top, ya can't help but love it."

Starscream remembered his days on Cybertron when his seekers and himself would down the high-grade energon and have a good time with drunken stories of their adventures. He almost wished he had some right now. Reminiscing about his past brought back those painful memories once again. He shook it off, trying to focus on the good times. He was too lost in his thoughts to notice Luna had fallen asleep. He snapped out of it when he felt something soft and warm against his side.

The seeker gazed down to find the human leaning against him, lightly breathing. She had tired herself out. A few weeks ago, he would have pulled away in disgust. He looked on in fascination. So small. So fragile. How is it these fleshlings have been able to survive this long when they could be easily squished? A large percentage of this planet was unhabitable. There were other creatures that could rip them to shreds, natural disasters, unlivable climates, and their own warfare. It's a wonder they haven't been killed off.

Of course, their intelligence is how they have thrived. Compared to his species they weren't as intelligent, but he couldn't think of a better word to describe them. Apparrently a mutation in their brain sets them apart from other life on this planet.

He looked down again to see Luna swatting an invisible fly in her sleep. Her other hand held the wine bottle tightly. He gently pushed her away, she stirred.

"Wake up fleshling," his voice was a tad loud, but not harsh. Luna woke and yawned.

"I don't wanna go to school," she moaned, still half asleep and a little drunk. Starscream pushed her to her feet, edging her to the trailer with his hand.

"Go on now," he commanded her like she was his pet. Luna took a few wobbly steps toward her house, eyes half closed. She almost fell over in her drunken state, but Starscream caught her before the ground did. He pushed her back to her feet, gently shoving her off. She briefly turned around to say:

"You're a good friend Starscream," It was true to her. He was the closest thing she had to a friend in years. All of her companions from elementary school had turned their backs on her once they reached middle school.

Luna turned back around and stumbled the rest of the way to her house. Starscream raised his optic ridges in suprprise at her statement then scoffed.

"She's intoxicated," he merely said. The seeker felt low on energy as well. Maybe he should get some recharge too. He circled around to the other side of his boulder and lay down, stretching out on the grass. If there was one thing his missed from his days as a Decepticon, it was his own berth. However, he had gotten used to sleeping out here.

He was close to drifting into recharge when the familar sound of an engine pulled into Luna's driveway. His audio caught the voices of two teenage humans. He listened closely.

"You sure this isn't going to far? Didn't we embarass her enough?" a boy asked.

"No way, that bitch got me detention. She deserves a little more," a female answered. "Ya wanna get paid don'cha, Derek?"

"Yeah, I could use that new bass."

"Then start egging. If she wants to live like everyday is Halloween, then by all means let's give it to her!" Starscream heard everything. These were the humans that humilated Luna.

"Hmmm," he said to himself, getting an idea. It had been far too long since he had felt in control. Even now that he had the power of dark energon, he still did not possess the power of command. He was losing his mind feeling so insignificant in the human's backyard. "Time to take care some vermin!" He crept from his hiding place, keeping low to the back of the trailer.

"Do it!" he heard the female yell, then something smack against the metal paneling of the trailer. The Cybertronian made sure no one else was around, then stood up to his full height, and walked around to the back of a blue pick-up truck, making sure his footfalls were heavy.

"Whoa, what was that?" said the male. The ground was shaking. Starscream then picked the truck up, the humans screamed in the process, spun it around so the windshield was facing him, and brought the cab to his eye-level. The children screamed in terror at the red eyes looking menacingly in at them.

"What is that!?" the female shrieked.

"Someone who could crush you with ease," Starscream answered, keeping his voice low and threatening. "Mercilessly." He dragged a claw down the windshield, leaving a scratch while it screeched.

"What do you want?" the one called Derek asked.

"To see you quake with fear. For you inferior life forms to beg for mercy. How I would love to gut you both and study your insides to see how they work," The seeker maliciously chuckled. "Unless of course..." he trailed off, teasing them. This was too much fun. Seeing their frightened faces gave him the sadistic enjoyment he had missed so much. Their eyes widened in fearfull anticipation.

"What?" They asked together. Starscream chuckled again.

"You apologize to Luna Atkins." They looked at him, bewildered. "Yes, I know her and you know what you did. Apologize to her, or I will hunt you down. I shall know if you haven't. And you will not bother her ever again. If you tell anyone about me, I'll rip your throats out!" His talons clinked as he raised them to the windshield for emphassis. "Understand?" The humans nodded. Tears were running down the female's face. He placed the truck back where it was, dents were left from his claw marks, and they took off like a bat out of hell.

Maniacle laughter burst out of the former Decepticon, feeling like his old self. Oh, how it felt good to be feared!

**A/N: I don't condone under age drinking. Don't do it kids! Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Luna awoke the next morning with a massive headache. Groaning, she rolled out of bed to take care of her hangover.

_I'm never drinking again_. She told herself. In the kitchen, she gulped down some Ibuproven with two glasses of water, before dropping the glass on her big toe.

"Goddammit!" she cried as the pain shot up her foot. To add to her irritation, the phone rang. She hopped on one foot across the room to answer it. "What!"

"Is that any way to talk you your mother?" Stevie sarcastically greeted.

"Oh, sorry Mom. Just havin' a bad morning. How's Grandma?"

"Much better. She's back in her apartment. I'm staying for a few more days 'til I make sure she's okay."

"That's good."

"Soooo, how was prom?" Stevie inquired. Everything from the previous night came back to Luna with a pang in her gut followed by bitterness. She hesitated before answering.

"It was... fine," she lied, rubbing her throbbing toe with her free hand. That was going to leave a mark.

"Just fine?"

"Pretty boring, actually. You know that's not my kinda thing. I guess it's not gonna work out between me 'n Derek."

"Oh, that's too bad," her mother sympathized. "So, I had a vision last night." Luna rolled her eyes and prepared for the bullshit. She really wasn't in the mood for her mother's mumbo jumbo. "Some positive energy is coming your way. This upcoming full moon, the first full moon of your eighteenth year, something will change drastically. But I should warn you..." Luna couldn't take it anymore. She finally snapped at her mother.

"Mom, my birthday is nothing but a coincidence! There's nothing special about the full moon! I don't believe in that crap." She instantly regretted what she had said. There was a brief moment of silence.

"Well, if that's how you feel. I'll stop doing astrology readings for you," Stevie said coldly.

"Mom, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it."

"No, I understand. Have a good day." There was a click followed by a buzz. Luna hung the phone back in its place. Why they still had a landline, she had no idea.

The girl moaned and rubbed her aching temples. _Get a hold of yourself! _she internally scolded. _You need to calm down, what's the matter with you?_ Her anger issues were getting out of hand. They had begun to get her in trouble lately.

After trying to force down her breakfast, she went to look for her mother's Yoga DVD's.

...

He flew high above the clouds, the sun shining on his chassiss. The wind caressed his wings as he was on his way to another mine rich with energon as his sensors indicated. This time he was alone.

Landing ever so gracefully, he carefully made his way to the formation. No sign of any alien life forms near the entrance. The seeker crept in the empty mine, on his guared, sensors highly alert. No one.

Once he made sure the coast was clear, he began gathering the embedded crystals. Whilst completing the mundane task, his mind drifted to the corrupted substance. His spark craved more; his processor demanded more. The power and knowledge of the ancient god lay within this one human, ready to take whenever he wanted. The blood of Unicron was in his grasp, and what was he doing? Wasting his time in a human's backyard!

_Do it now! _He wasn't quite sure if that was Unicron, or his own psyche. _Extinguish him now!_

_No!_ He fought back against his thoughts, or possibly Unicron's. _Not until the perfect moment! I will not let you call the shots! _I_ am the leader!_

He had been so absorbed he didn't notice another presence had entered.

"Well, well, Screamer. Long time no see." Starscream yelped and whipped around upon hearing the familiar voice, dropping all the crystals he had gathered.

"Knockout!? What are you doing here?" The seeker demanded, now fully alert, searching for any signs of Decepticon troopers.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." He appeared very casual, a sly grin plastered on his face plate.

"Just because I have left the Decepticons doesn't mean I no longer require sustenance. Are you alone?"

"Relax. What's up your thruster? I was out for a drive in the mountains until my sensors detected the energon here." He gestured his servos to the crystals in the walls. Starscream looked suspiciously at the Decepticon medic.

"That's all?" he asked.

"Of course I will be reporting this to the big M, so I suggest you take what you need and fly off," Knockout replied. "He has ordered your arresst should you return to the ship." Starscream was perplexed. Had Airachnid not mentioned the dark energon, or their previous encounter? That meant that his former master was still oblivious to the human. Did that wretch have a scheme of her own? _How dare she steal my idea!_ He silently cursed. _No matter. She'll have to rip Luna from my cold, offline servos!_

"You're just letting me go?" Starscream inquired. To his surprise the medic started laughing.

"Please, Starscream. You're no threat out here," he mocked. The seeker snarled at him for attacking his ego. He made a move to collect the fallen crystals.

"Well, give Megatron my best wishes," he spat. Then he took off into the air.

...

After much effort, Luna dragged the big-screen television out the sliding glass door and into the backyard. She grunted, placing it onto a stack of cinder blocks. Wiping the sweat off her brow (delighted in the increasing temperature) she went to get an extension cord and a lawn chair.

All of the props lay out on the lawn in front of the viewing area. A bowl of rice, a newspaper, a super soaker, and lighters; noisemakers, confetti, Scott's toilet paper, and unbuttered toast (things could get sticky). There was also two party hats, bells, and a deck of cards.

Luna was giddy with excitement. She couldn't wait to show Starscream her favorite cult-classic. He had been gone for most of the day, leaving her in complete boredom. Still no acceptance letter, yet. _Calm down, it's only been a week_, she assured herself.

A shot of guilt passed through her heart. She couldn't believe she'd bashed her mother's beliefs like that. Surely she must have known her daughter didn't share them, but it was no excuse to yell at her.

She would call later and apologize until she exploded.

The sound of his engine in the distance reached her ears and she smiled in anticipation. Soon after his heavy footsteps sounded, the girl ran to the woods to greet him.

Starscream had hid the energon further back into the forest as he still had a few shards near his boulder. Too much of it piled up at once could send off unwanted sensors. His gaze narrowed to the only human he tolerated appraoching him. He was confused at her attire. Thanks to her, he had gained more knowledge in Earth's many cultures. From what he understood, she appeared to be dressed as some sort of servant.

"So, Starscream," she panted. He took notice of her excitement. "Are you ready to lose your virginity?" She gave a knowing grin. Befuddlement took over the Cybertronian. From what little knowledge of human's he possessed, he assumed she was talking about their sexual interactions, or rather lack of experience in them. A semi-repulsed look formed on his face.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," he replied. Luna's smile grew wider as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Your 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' virginity." Starscream remained clueless. The girl gestured the alien to follow her with her finger. He did so out of curiosity. What could she possibly have in store? As they emerged from the trees, Starscream's optics scanned the curious sight before them.

A primitive looking screen, a tiny chair, and many other objects which were foreign to him. Luna gazed up at her companion and giggled at his innocently puzzled expression. He was almost adorable. She turned to face him completely. Clapping her hands together, she began her explanation.

"Before I start the movie, there are some rules. Those who haven't seen it in a theater with live performers are called 'virgins,' which would be you," she pointed a finger at him while he quirked an optic ridge. "I lost mine two years ago. Unfortunately, this is as close as you're gonna get, so let's make the most of it."

"Is all human entertainment like this?" the seeker inqiured. It felt a little strange being out in the open like this. Apart from his flights, he always took cover amongst the trees.

"Well, this one is unique. It's interactive. Now," Luna continued, pacing before the giant robot. "Whenever you hear the name Brad Majors, we're gonna yell 'asshole!' And whenever you hear the name Janet Weiss, we're gonna yell, 'slut!'" She laughed at the baffled look on his face plate.

"Why would you yell obscenities at the performance," he questioned crossing his servos. "Unless it is a poor production, I fail to see the reason for it."

"It's fun!" Luna said simply, recieving a perplexed stare. "When we go to this event, people dress up as the charcters," she gestured her costume by pinching up the ends of her skirt and releasing it. "I'm dressed as Magenta, a domestic. And dude with those heels you'd make a great Frank-N-Furter. He's scientist like you. It's a perfect match!"

"A human scientist is no match for me," he stated egotistically, holding his helm high.

"Actually, he's an alien too. Seriously, I can't unsee it. Now, see those props down there?" she gestured to them, his optics followed. "We'll be using them at certain points throughout the movie. Just follow my lead, it's not like virgins know how to do anything." Luna teased him with a smirk, while he growled in irritation in return.

"I'll have you know, I've interfaced countless times before," he confirmed, placing a hand on his chest in pride. There was no way he would be discussing the reproductive nature of Cybertronains with a human months ago, yet his ego had caused him to blurt it to her. Slightly embarassed, he folded his servos behind his back after Luna burst out laughing, trying to hide it.

Luna hunched over, holding her belly, laughing until her face turned red. Whatever 'interfacing' was she was sure it was their form of sex. Starscream awkwardly shifted his pedes, wating for her to cease.

"Are we going to start this thing or not?" he demanded.

"Okay, stud. One more thing," she gasped the last wave of mirth away. "First I need to teach you 'the Time Warp.'" She hadn't expected the look he gave her next.

His optics grew wide, briefly baffled. His jaw nearly dropped in bewilderment, as he tried to control it.

"Impossible," he said. "My species does not possess the technology to manipulate time. How is it yours does?" How could he have missed that after all this time? This can't be. Partially angry at the fact that this race had one thing over his, he glared at the girl awaiting an answer. What he got was a second wave of laughter from her.

"No, no," she snorted. "It's a dance. Virgins are so cute!" This was probably the most fun she'd had with the alien, and the movie hadn't even started. A slight growl escaped Starscream. He was surprised to find a small sensation of relief in his spark. Was he really that insecure?

What followed was Luna showing him the moves to this dance. He watched intently as she jumped to the left and stepped to the right. He found the pelvic thrust to be quite savage.

"You're a fool if you think I'm going to do that," Starscream stated when she was finished.

"You're lucky I'm not making you do the orgasm contest, or put a 'V' on your forehead!" Luna said with a chortle. She went to pop the DVD in. "Let's misbehave!"

She sat down in her lawn chair and Starscream sighed and sat on the ground next to her. Why did she constantly insist on showing him everything about this mud ball?

The film began with strange music. Disturbance crept over him as his optics took in the sight of a pair of disembodied lips on screen singing a song. This is what humans called entertainment? Just how sick was this species? He had no idea what he was in for.

Luna sang along throughout the entire first musical number at the top of her lungs, then began clapping as the next scene took place.

During some sort of human bonding ritual, Luna grabbed a handful of grainey white substance and threw it into the air. Then she took another and placed it into Starscream's gigantic palm.

"Throw the rice," she orderd. He scowled and did so half-heartedly.

"This is idiotic," he said.

"Don't you know how to have fun?" The seeker huffed at her.

"Of course I do! This however, is not my idea of it." As the characters she pointed out were introduced, she called out their designated insults. Starscream remained silent.

A few more scenes went by before Luna handed the seeker a news paper. He gave her a questioning look.

"Hold this over your head."

"And why, may I ask?" he sighed, snatching the paper between his fingers. It wasn't nearly big enough to cover his helm, making the sight comical. Luna answered him by squirting him all over with the super soaker, laughing evilly.

Starscream flinched, sheilding his face plate from the projectile water.

"What the frag!" he yelled.

"Yes, it's raining," Luna said in unison with Janet followed by a, "slut!" The Cybertronain grumbled, throwing the soaked paper to the ground. He wiped his face, grinding his dentals. This was no fun at all!

It was time for 'the Time Warp,' so Luna lept up from her seat and broke out dancing with pure enthusiasm, putting more and more passion into it as the song progressed. Starscream stayed put, watching her.

"You're a bum!" she said when he made no move to join her. She obviously loved this... whatever it was. The way she was passionate about certain things, how she could be cynical, and yet enjoy life at the same time; he began to find her intriguing. He wasn't sure if it was all humans, or just her.

"Oh, here comes Frank-N-Furter!" Luna's squeal of delight snapped him out of it. "He reminds me of you." Starscream stared at the screen as the so-called flamboyant scientist made his entrance.

"I think the dark energon is leaking into your brain," he responed. "I don't see the resemblance." Though, he had to admit their feet looked similar. He continued watching only partly interested, ducking down behind the house whenever a car passed.

If there was one word Starscream could come up with to describe the film, it would be bizzarre. These humans must be sick if this was what they found entertaining. And did they really mate with whomever? The most insulting was that Luna thought he was like that sex-crazed creature. He was not nearly as mad, or cowardly. Though most would disagree.

Knockout would probably like this. He thought back to their encounter. _Have I really become so insignificant_? He thought. Did they really find him unthreatening? Well, that would all change. Soon.

How dare they treat him with such disrespect, and then scoff at him when he decided he would be better off without them! They needed him, not the other way around!

By the time the movie was over, Luna had fallen asleep in her chair. She held a noise maker in one hand. He head fell back and her mouth hung open. Quite a funny sight. She looked so harmless. Yet she possessed such great and dark power. It was ironic.

To his surprise, that familiar purple glow encassed the fleshling. He hadn't seen it since that first night. She twisted her body to the side, scrunching up her face. She seemed disturbed.

She whimpered, turning over to the other side. Starscream's optics were transfixed as he watched in fascination and slight fear, mentally taking note of everything.

"No," she weakly protested in her sleep. "Leave me alone!" Her leg gave a small reflexive kick. A loud scream startled the seeker out of his intense study. Moving quckly, he used his finger to shake her from her nightmarish slumber before she would attract attention.

"Wake up! Cease this infernal screaming!" The glow flashed out as she snapped awake, as if it were never there.

"What happened?" she demanded, alarm in her voice.

"You appeared to be having a nightmare. Care to explain?" Starscream's scientific curiosity took over.

"I..." Luna struggled to resurface the dream. "This m-monster stood over me. I think it was Unicron." Her voice shook, her body trembled. Green eyes grew wide with fear as the girl recalled. Starscream's interest piqued.

"But, it was dark. All I could see were these purple eyes. H-he told me that I deserved to die for stealing his power; said I was nothing b-but a parasite. His voice was so scary. Then he says he's going to kill me. His eyes were furious. I try to run away, but he snatches me up in his hand, and that's when I usually wake up. I've had this dream a few times before." Starscream gazed at her, optic ridges furrowed. He seemed to be thinking intensely, though Luna was having trouble reading him. Again she felt like a specimen under those red eyes.

"Why haven't you said anything?" the seeker asked. Luna was taken aback.

"I... I didn't think it was important." Moments passed in silence before Starscream broke it.

"You're right, it's not. Unicron has been lost since before the formation of Cybertron. What we are seeing are merely shadows of his existance. Your nightmares are your own fears mixing with that. I suggest you forget about it." Somehow, Luna didn't feel so relieved.

"Are you sure?" she questioned.

"Of course I am," he falsely reassured. The intense emotional stress probably activated the substance within her. It would be best not to worry her.

Luna sighed, it took effort for her to stand up from her chair. Energy was completely drained from her system. She brought a hand to her head.

"Perhaps you should rest," Starscream suggested.

"Yeah, I'm so tired," Luna agreed, her voice hoarse. "I'll clean all of this up later." Then she slowly made her way to the door. The mech examined her.

Slow, unsteady, completely lethrgic. Dark energon. It must be draining her.

How long has it been since he discovered her? He had begun to lose track of time. He had considered the possiblity of the substance slowly killing her a while ago. Now, he concluded the process had begun. She would slowly deteriorate. He was almost certain of it

He would have to enact his plan soon, before he would lose the power. He would either kill his former master, or offer the girl up to him. This mantra had been repeated in his head over and over. Either of these two would be the outcome.

For some strange reason he could not figure out, he hoped it would be the former. Of course he would prefer Megatron's death by his hand, but that was not the only reason. If the latter were to occur, who knows what the Decepticon leader would do to her?

Even though he began to feel it would be unlikely he wished for the former. He wished for the former, though he didn't want to admit it, because he was growing fond of the fleshling.

**A/N: TFP Starscream reminds me a little of Frank-N-Furter. I can't be the only one, right? C'mon, gender-bending evil, alien scientist? Anyone? Anyway, thank you to all who have reviewed.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Warning, feels ahead! Sorry there hasn't been much action lately. I'm not that good at writing it, so I apologize if you're getting bored. Hopefully things will get going again after this chapter.**

Chapter 8

_"You guys are so boring!" A purple and black alien who looked similar to Starscream complained. "Let's do something, anything!"_

_"We are doing something. I suggest you help us do this something," a blue, stoic looking alien replied. He looked like Starscream as well, only bulkier and with a deeper voice._

_"But I hate processing energon!"_

_"Will you keep quiet, Skywarp?" Luna recognized Starscream's voice. It had appeared to come from her. Her eyes darted around a metallic looking room. Energon cubes rested on a table surrounded by a blue glow. She was sharing one of Starscream's memories. The seeker raised a servo, holding some kind of data pad in his talons "It's your fault we're stuck doing this. You just had to release that scraplet into Shockwave's quarters didn't you?"_

_"Well... you're a killjoy!" The one called Skywarp retorted. From the way his voice sounded, Luna guessed he was the youngest of the three as well as having a smaller stature than his counterparts. Starscream scoffed and returned to his intense work. Skywarp pouted a bit before approaching the blue one. He whispered something inaudibale into his audio._

_"Skywarp, we're too old for these silly games," he whispered back, not looking up from his work._

_"C'mon, Thundercracker. Don't be so serious all the time."_

_"Get back to work," Thundercracker's booming voice commanded.._

_"You're not the leader, not that I would listen anyway," Skywarp pouted. Starscream approached the duo, clearly agitated._

_"What are you two gabbing about?" he demanded. "Have you forgotten why we're here? Finish your jobs!" Starscream turned to head back to his post. Skywarp smirked, slyly before suddenly crying out:_

_"Scrap pile!" And he jumped right on top of Starscream's back. He collapsed from the weight, the purple seeker pinned him to the floor with a loud clang as metal met metal. Thundercracker sighed before abandning his work and pouncing on Skywarp. Their combined weight crushed the silver seeker. His wings began to cramp up._

_"Get off me you glitches!" Starscream shouted, struggling to buck them off. "I'll be sure to report your imcompitence!" The other two seekers laughed in response._

_"Remember the good ole days, Screamer?" Skywarp asked. "You used to be a lot more fun!" Starscream ceased his struggling and laughed along with his brothers. The seeker's joyous reminisce filled Luna with the same warmth he felt. This was the last time he truly felt happy._

...

Another energon run had turned into a battle against a group of Vehicons. This time they were vastly out numbered, so they were forced to retreat. They managed to get back all right, little damage inflicted. Starscream had only managed to scavange two energon shards.

The Cybertronain caught Luna after she fell out of his spark chamber. It took her longer than usual to gather herself.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," Luna moaned. She was clearly exhausted. A wave of wooziness briefly took over Starscream as well. "This stuff is driving me insane and I think it's doing the same for you. Whenever this fusion happens, I feel you going mad with power. I'm so angry all the time, I'm always tired, and my nightmares are getting worse. I think we should stop."

"We'll take it easy, but I will need you as soon as these crystals are used up," Starscream replied, the effects of his intoxication fading along with some of his strength.

"You went on a hunt without me and you did fine," she pointed out. "I don't think Unicron likes that I share his blood."

"I wouldn't worry about it," was the seeker's sharp response. "I told you he is long gone." There was no way she was going to keep the dark energon away from him now. Why did he suddenly feel weak? He thought he had been able to control the substance as Megatron had.

Luna tiredly gazed up at Starscream and snorted a laugh. There was a black smudge on his lip plates from where she had kissed him.

"What's so funny," he asked.

"You got a little..." she licked her thumb and went to wipe away the lipstick. Starscream jerked his helm back in disgust.

"Don't get your disgusting human fluids on me!" Luna laughed at him.

"You're fine with me kissing you. You're wearing my lipstick, let me get it." She raised her thumb to his face again and wiped the smudge away. "There." He snatched her wrist between his thumb and forefinger before she could pull her hand away. He held it lightly, examining it. Very soft in his claws. Strange, squishy texture, tiny digits. The light pulsating sensation of her viens under his steel claws. If he wanted to, he coud snap her hand clean off her wrist.

"So... fragile," he simply stated in his intense study. "How you are able to function, I'll never understand."

"I'm tuffer than you think," Luna replied indignantly.

"I meant your species as a whole. You can be crushed so easily." Luna felt a chill go up her spine at the slight sinister tone in his voice.

"Waddaya mean by that?"

"Nothing, it's just interesting is all," Starscream said. He released her wrist and set her down. She steadied herself, gazing up at him. The shared memory crept into her mind, the faces of the Cybertronian's companions haunted her. She wondered if he knew what she had seen. Bracing herself, she asked the question he wasn't prepared for.

"Who are Skywarp and Thundercracker?" Starscream froze, his optics widened in shock. How did she know? He knew the answer, yet he asked her anyways.

"Where did you hear those names?"

"From your memories," she stated. "I saw the three of you goofing off. I felt how happy you were." Luna had never seen him so joyous before. Something definitely had to have happened to him. She wanted to understand why he was the way he was. She wanted to really know him.

"They were... old friends, brothers," the seeker sighed. He cleared his vocalizer, holding everything back. "Have those vermin apologized to you, yet?" He had told her about his encounter with her bullies. The girl had nearly fallen over from laughing so hard. Starscream couldn't help smiling at her malicious mirth.

"Yes, they did," said Luna. While it was a glorious sight, a bitter sensation filled her gut when her former crush walked away holding hands with Tracey. But she wasn't going to let Starscream get away with changing the subject.

"Please, tell me about them," she begged. "It's not healthy when you bottle everything up." Her own words took her by surprise. She sounded exactly like her mother.

"Well now, don't you sound hypocritical," the seeker returned, holding himself high. "You hold that temper back, yet you give no explanation."

"Alright, I'll tell you 'bout my issues if you tell me yours," Luna suggested. Instead of replying, Starscream went to sit on his boulder. The girl followed, climbing up the giant rock to sit next to him, ignoring his scowl. Her legs dangled over the edge while Starscream's were able to touch the ground.

"My mother and grandmother are two of the most mellow people I know," she began. The silver mech had no idea where she was going with this. "I have never ever seen them angry. Hell, my grandma was a hippie back in the day, still is!" She gave a light laugh. "I'm the spitting image of my mother but I believe, no, I know my temper comes from my father. I don't want to be anything like that scum bag. I'm ashamed that I inherited that from him, so I try my hardest to hold it back. I never want to snap at anyone but it's very difficult, especially lately. A lot of things make me angry, mostly people at school. But I do my best and it's worked so far, excluding a few incidents. So, that's my deal." Her mother was right, it felt good to let it out. She waited silently for Starscream to share, if he would.

It had been forever since the last time he talked about them. As he recalled, it was only to report to Megatron that they had offlined. It was so long ago, he had all but been numb. Almost forgotten them, except for the occasional haunting dreams. All of their times together. Their adventures, their antics. Their brotherhood bond.

His helm snapped down as he felt the soft touch of Luna's hand laying on his servo, her big green eyes gazed sypathetically into his. Maybe he should get it off his chassis. If he didn't she might go fishing around for information the next time they fused and the truth would be revealed.

He cleared his vocalizer, bracing himself.

"Thundercracker and Skywarp were a part of my seeker armada back on Cybertron. Seekers usually form a trine in their lifetime. We knew each other since we were sparklings and we shared a bond as deep as brotherhood," he paused, turning his helm away from the girl. "Thundercracker was the most mature, though I was the eldest. He always took things too seriously. Skywarp would compare him to stale energon. Skywarp," he huffed out a laugh, staring off into space. The present faded away from him. "Where do I begin? He wasn't exactly the brightest star in the galaxy, but he knew how to have fun. He was quite the prankster, often irrtatingly so. He drove everyone mad. How I wanted to swipe that stupid grin off his face! I would give anything to see it again." Tears stung his optics. He shuttered them away before they could escape.

"What happend to them?" Luna asked, although she already knew the dreadful answer. Her hand remained on his servo through the whole story.

"They're offline... dead," he sighed in remorse. His posture slouched, his wings drooped in mourning. "I'm not sure exacly how, but I felt it in my spark the moment they were one with the Allspark."

He remembered it like it was a solar cycle ago. They had gotten separated during the destruction of Cybertron. He was able to boared the Nemesis while he had to leave them behind. He begged Megatron to wait for them, but they couldn't afford to waste time. That was how he learned to only look out for himself. Since then he would always put himself before others. Only taking an opportunity if he would benefit from it.

It was why he went after his former master to rescue him from that cave-in; he would gain something in return. And he had left his trine behind. He sacrificed their sparks, yet he went to save the one belonging to the very person he despised. For his own little agenda. To save his sorry chassis.

He assumed the seekers had escaped, for they hadn't joined the Allspark for quite some time after.

Starscream had been in recharge aboared the Decepticon ship when that first wave of shooting pain clenched his spark. The intensity of it threw him off the berth. A loud cry emenated from him as he clutched his chest in agony.

"Skywarp..." Starscream panted. He had been the first to go. He was so young. Whatever the cause of his destruction, it was being drawn out for far too long. The silver seeker felt the pain intensify before numbing over as Skywarp slipped slowly away. A bond had severed.

"No!" he screamed. Then another jolt of pain shot into his chest before he had time to recooperate from the first. His spark constricted, sent him flying back against a wall with a loud clang. He slid down to the floor, laying with his hands over his spark chamber. Tears streamed down his face plate. It was the most unbearable pain he ever endured, though nothing compared to the emotional anguish he felt as his brothers offlined while he lay helplessly on the ship's floor. Not even Megatron's ruthless punishments.

Eventually Thundercracker's spark gave out, fading away with the second bond. Starscream had suffered with them, if not more now that he had to continue on without them.

This war had done nothing but take. No matter the outcome, nothing could make up for all of the loss. Of their planet. Of lives. Some of which he took himself without a shred of remorse. The war had changed him, and now he began to doubt if it was for the better. The weight of it was just too much.

The seeker had been so lost in the past, he hadn't noticed Luna's arms wrap maternally around his servo until he heard her soothing voice.

"I'm sorry," she said, leaning into him and curling her legs up onto the giant rock. Her mother had comforted her when she needed it, now she took what she had learned to comfort her companion. She rested her head against his huge arm, his metal warm from the afternoon sun.

Starscream didn't pull away, or try to shake her off. He would never admit it, but it felt nice knowing someone cared. Not since his brothers' demise had he ever opened up to anyone. All those eons of holding back this guilt ridden torment.

_I should have remained on Cybertron to look for them, _he mentally scolded himself. _But I was too hungry for power. My selfishness extinguished their sparks. It's all my fault!_

Starscream shifted, trying to hide his pain from the girl. He shook his helm to rid himself of the threatening tears. Luna squeezed his arm tighter, tears building up in her own eyes. It must have been horrible for him; his story broke her heart. Though her empathy was evident she could never know the anguish that encassed his very spark. She almost felt ashamed for trying to compare their situations. For trying to exchange stories when one clearly surpassed hers in terms of troubling pasts. The Cybertronian had greatly suffered and her attempts to lengthen her short fuse were merely the result of petty pride.

But he shared. He revealed a big part of himself to her even though he didn't have to.

It dawned on the seeker that both species were capable of the same emotions. They were vastly different, yet very much the same. That superiorty had shrunk a bit at this epiphany, just a bit.

Starscream couldn't help feeling a little warmth for the human attempting to comfort him, though he internally bemoaned his feelings for the inferior being. He was thankful no one was here to witness this.

It seemed a new bond was forming.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The sound of tapping on the sliding glass door and a large red eye looking in nearly gave Luna a heart attack. She gave a startled cry. Relief took place once she realized it was just Starscream. She hadn't heard him approach the building due to her blaring stereo.

"Dude, what are you doing?" she yelled at him, trying to slow her heart rate.

His reply came out muffled due to the glass and loud music. Luna went to slide the door open and stand in the threshold. The volume of the music increased in Starscream's audio as the door opened. He knew she frequently played this particular album. "The Phantom of the..." something. Original... something cast. What was it? Chicago? Beijing? Some city it was recorded in. But that was not what confused him at the moment.

"What's on your head?" He questioned the clear plastic wrapped around her hair, pointing to it.

"I'm re-dying my hair, the color was starting to fade." Looking down his frame he noticed his finish could also use some retouching.

"Yes, now come. We must search for energon," the seeker demanded, beggining to feel anxious.

"Already? It's only been a few days."

"Those shards have been used up. Now, if you don't mind," Starscream held out his servo for her. Luna gave an irritated sigh. She really wasn't in the mood; she'd had a horrible day.

"You're killin' me. Alright, give me an hour," she resentfully agreed, wiping her hand down her face. She recieved an agitated groan in response. "What's your hurry? Jeez, sometimes I think you _want_ to run into Decepticons so you can get high off this shit." She refered to the dark energon. She closed the door and turned her back on him.

Starscream hadn't realized it until now, she had confirmed why he had been so tense. He was becoming addicted to the corrupted substance. It was all he thought about, consuming his very being. He had almost forgotten his plan to overthrow the Decepticon Lord.

A title which should rightfully be his. Soon, it will be soon.

Unless he failed. Like he usually did. _No!_ He protested. _This time will be different. I will show them all. Prove to them that I am not the failure they presume me to be! I shall rule!_

Starscream wasn't so sure who he was trying to convince.

...

_"Please, I'm sorry!" On the verge of tears, Luna apologized to a furious looking human. Starscream witnessed everything she did through her eyes. The two fleshies appeared to be in some sort of office._

_"'Sorry' doesn't replace these broken records, or those customers," her boss replied, holding up the shattered disks in his hands._

_"I know, I shouldn'ta lost my temper. P-please, I really need this job," Luna continued to plead. "You know the economy is terrible here. I've struggled for months to find a job. I-I'll work overtime. You can take it out of my paycheck. Please, please, give me another chance. I won't be able to find work again." The man let out an audible exhale._

_"This isn't your first slip up, Luna. You've lost it with other customers before, but I've been too lienient. I'm sorry, you're fired." Luna froze in horror as the awful words smacked her in the face. She silently nodded her head. Her heart dropped in her stomach like lead._

_The girl exited his office, holding up her pride until she left the building. It all came out once she was safe in her car. Sobs escaped from her chest as the hot tears fell down her freckled cheeks. She brought her legs up on the seat and wrapped her arms around them._

_It seemed like she had been doing a lot of crying lately, which was unusual for her. Maybe her mother was right about holding everything back. Years of it all building up had finally begun to release out of her control._

_How was she going to pay for college now that she lost her source of income? She had applied to every available job opportunity she could find, even to places that were an hour away. It was pure luck that she was able to secure this one. The record store had been the only place that called her in for an interview, and she messed everything up. It was all her fault. How could she be so reckless?_

_"I've really fucked up," she said through her sorrow, mentally slapping herself for crying like a little brat. Why should she feel sorry for herself? She deserved what she got._

_This all seemed very familiar for Starscream. He had constantly been messing up his position as second in command and begging Megatron for forgiveness. He cringed at his past groveling._

_Deep in the pit of his spark, he sympathized with her. Perhaps they were more similar than he previously percieved._

...

The battle ensued. Due to the distraction of Luna's memory, Starscream recieved a surprising punch to the jaw. He retaliated by finishing the Vehicon with the swipe of his bladed fingers, violet optics glowing furiously. Dodging the shots from their blasters, he took cover behind a rock formation.

Unexpectadly, Luna fell out of his spark chamber. He frantacly fumbled his servos to catch her limp body, nearly dropping her. The fusion ended early.

"What..?" his question disappeared upon realizing she wasn't moving, her eyes closed. He lightly shook her as the blasters charged and fired in the distance.

The seeker quickly ran into the cover of the thicket of trees before the troopers could catch up to him.

"Luna, wake up!" he desperately commanded. The girl was paler than usual. Fear took hold of him. The Vehicons seemed to be increasing in numbers each time they went to excavate energon.

A startling realization hit him. After all of his plotting, he wasn't ready to face his former master yet. The confidence drained from his system. He was afraid.

The sounds of the troopers sounded closer, so Starscream lightly patted her little face with his huge palm. Very slowly, she came to. She weakly sat up, groaning in exhaustion.

Starscream sighed in relief, though he wasn't sure if he was afraid of losing the dark energon, or her. The blasters confirmed his answer for now and brought his confidence back.

"Show time, Luna," he said. The girl looked up at him in disbelief.

"I can't," she protested, her voice faint.

"One more time, let me finish them!" He curled his claws; his arrogance rose to dangerous levels.

"Can't we retreat like last time? You have enough energon." The troopers were getting closer.

"Now!" he harshly ordered, bringing her close to his face plate. The threatening sound of his voice scared her. This stuff was definitely affecting him too; he sounded like an addict. It took effort to reach her face forward to kiss him. In a flash of purple, she returned to his spark, and Starscream whipped around to tackle the first Decepticon to reach him. The trooper was extinguished in two swipes leaving energon on the seeker's claws.

The next two were greeted with swift kicks and finished with his own glowing blaster. His pride elevated with his intoxication.

"Who dares challenge me next?" The question was answered at the sight of a whole squadron of Vehicons on their way to their target, which was him. Wings drooping like a cat's ears, Starscream gave a loud shriek before making a run for it. He bolted straight into the woods with the troopers on his trail.

Before he could transform, a massive jolt in the Earth threw him off his pedes. He fell to the ground with an 'oof.' The ground continued to shake and Luna was flung from Starscream's spark chamber. Extending his servo far from his body, he barely caught her.

The Vehicons were thrown to the dirt as well. All of them transformed and struggled to fly away from the jolts.

"Earthquake!" Luna shouted. A tree fell down dangerously close to the human, prompting Starscream to pull her to his chest. Another one crackled, falling over with a thud. The Earth's tremors prevented the seeker from rising to his feet, all he could do was sit up. He could feel the girl shaking in his grasp, her fingers tightly clutched his. Holding her close, Starscream shuttered his optics and bowed his head, waiting for the intense tremors to end.

After what seemed like forever, the earthquake finally ceased. Starscream cracked an optic open to look around. Thankfully no more trees fell.

"Is it over?" Luna asked, still clinging to his hand.

"I think so," he replied. The seeker turned the girl loose before standing up. His processor was met with a pounding ache. He placed a hand over the pain.

Feeling light headed, Luna was forced to sit down on the fallen tree trunk. Her hands came up over her face.

"That was weird," she said through her fingers. "We never get earthquakes that big around here."

"Is that so?" Starscream curiously asked. Luna nodded. Quite suddenly, something powerful took over her body, enveloping her in a bizarre and intense sensation. It wasn't painful, but she had no words to describe it. It caused her to shoot up from her seat, going completely rigid.

Knowledge she couldn't comprehend flew though her brain; strange visions passed over her eyes in a whirlwind of data. A loud pounding filled her ears. In her head.

A steady beat. A heartbeat? That was the only word in her vocabulary she could find to describe the sound. It grew louder and louder, so much so that Luna quickly began to find it unbearable. Her hands flew up to clutch her throbbing head, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Make it stop!" she screamed. Starscream could only watch in horror. There was nothing he could do. The purple glow surrounded her again as she writhed in torture. Perhaps Unicron was not lost? No, that was a crazy idea. Maybe she was dying? That had to be it. Panic siezed the seeker.

"No!" he yelled, snatching the girl up. He had waited too long. The glow faded shortly after, along with her consciosness.

"Don't you dare die on me, flesh creature!" he pathetically commanded. His glorious plan was ruined. All of that wasted time. All of that plotting gone to scrap!

Wait. He felt her breathing. She was alive!

He placed a finger over the pulse in her neck. Very low, but functioning. For now. Elation took hold of his spark.

There was a sudden lightning strike right next to Starscream's foot.

"Whoa!" he jumped back. That was too close. Soon after, thunder roared in the atmosphere. His helm snapped up to the sky, his gaze met with the strange sight of clouds rapidly forming. He didn't have time to examine them, for another strike hit a nearby tree then another. Soon he was in a complete storm, the rain pelted against his armor.

Starscream held Luna tight against his chest while he ran to take cover in the energon mine the Vehicons had abandoned. His pedes skidded to a stop after he flew over the threshhold. He watched the wind whip the trees and the rain falling heavily. He turned to head deeper into the stripped mine.

Far back, but not too far (he wasn't sure of the stability) he slid down against a bare wall to sit on the floor. He propped the girl up next to him against the same wall, and waited for the storm to end. It would be too dangerous to fly in it.

Thoughts swirled around in his processor. This seemed to be particularly bizarre weather conditions for this planet. Perhaps it had something to do with the current planetary allignment? That must be it.

For a brief moment, a crazy theory about Unicron flashed in his processor. How ridiculous! It was not possible. These were Luna's irrational fears, he should know better. The dark energon had to be messing with their minds.

Hopefully the child would wake up soon. Starscream would have to carry out his deed as soon as the storm ceased. Before the dark energon took its course and he lost it for good. By the looks of her condition, she wouldn't last much longer.

He grimaced at the worsening ache in his processor. Weariness began to take over him as well. He had been taking too much and it cost them both of their health.

"No!" he said in disbelief. "I had control! What's happening?"

_You're weak! _A voice sounded in his head. _You'll never be like Megatron. He is the true vessel for me to do my bidding. You are nothing!_

"No!" Starscream yelled out loud. "I will be the true leader of the Decepticons!" The world spun around him, vision going bleary. His helm felt heavy with pure exhaustion. Slowly, stasis took him over, thunder being the last thing he heard.

...

"Volcano," was the first thing Starscream heard as he came out of stasis. His optics unshuttered, feeling groggy.

"What?" he tiredly asked, putting his hand over his optics. The girl was most likely rambling mindlessly.

"I saw a volcano," Luna groaned, regaining consciosness. She slowly sat up. "Spewing dark energon."

"Fascinating dream," Starscream said absently, struggling to sit up himself. The human was probably losing her mind.

"No, it was real. I saw it happen. Megatron was there." This caught the seeker's attention. Whipping his helm in her direction he said:

"Elaborate."

"Unicron is alive. He's here on Earth. Well, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but he's _in _the Earth." She cringed, awaiting for him to begin condescending. This was a really insane idea, but Unicron himself had confirmed this in Luna's head.

"That... That's a ludicrous assumption. You just had a bad dream," he rejected her theory. The corruption must surely be driving her mad.

Luna looked about her, just now noticing the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"In the empty mine. There was a storm. We can't leave until it's over." The thunder outside confirmed his answer and startled the girl. "And your little theory is ridiculous." He couldn't resist throwing it back at her.

Luna came up with an idea to make him believe her.

"Well, I've never seen Megatron in person. I'll tell you what he looked like in my 'dream.'" Starscream sighed.

"Proceed," he said while rubbing his helm.

"He was huge like a football player, all silver. His red eyes turned purple. Sharp teeth and claws, and he had a bucket on his head." After her description, he dismissed her argument.

"How do I know you didn't get an image of him during our fusions?"

"I haven't, I swear," she assured. "He was at the volcano, very happy he found it. Like, insane and power hungry. That junk poured from it. I'm tellin' ya, it's in the center of the Earth. There was someone else there too. They were fighting over it. The other big guy didn't want him to have it. What was his name? Something Prime?" Starscream raised an optic ridge.

"Optimus Prime?"

"I think so."

"Hmmm..." Starscream said in deep thought, stroking his chin. He rose to his pedes, though it greatly tired him, and made his way to the front of the cave. To his dismay, the storm had not let up. Luna got up to follow him, tiring herself too. Her eyes widend at the sight before her.

"Whoa!" she gasped. "Storms don't happen like that." Lightning bolts flashed one after another in flashes of dancing electrical light, followed by the boom of thunder. Rain poured harshly from the sky.

"I'll take your theory into consideration," Starscream said, defeated by the unnatural weather. They walked back to their spot. What was he going to do now?

"Who's Optimus Prime?" Luna inquired after they sat down.

"He's the leader of the Autobots," he answered.

"Did he ask you to protect me?"

"Yes," he lied.

"I'm glad he sent you," Luna said genuinely. Starscream didn't respond. "You're a good friend."

"We're not friends," he dismissed her.

"Well, you're the closest thing I have to a friend. The only person who knows more about me is my mom. You told me about your trine. We have a lot of fun together." Starscream rolled his optics at her musings. She must have a pathetic, lonely life if she considered him her friend.

Come to think of it, _he_ had a pathetic, lonely life himself. He hadn't had any true friends since Thundercracker and Skywarp. Luna was the only one he opened up to after their demise. Even aboard the Nemesis he was always alone. When he'd finally acheived all he had wished for after Megatron offlined himself with his plot to raise an undead army, he had no one.

A plot Starscream had attempted himself upon Megatron's resurrection.

And he failed. He always failed.

What made him think this current plan would be any different? Could he really defeat the leader of the Decepticons? Doubt clouded his mind like the dark sky outside. If he couldn't, if he changed his mind like the coward that he was he would resort to his pitiful groveling. Go back to being the lowly servant. Always knowing he would just be out of reach of achieving the highest rank.

It's not like he could defeat him now. If Luna's vision was correct, Megatron now possessed a whole eruption of dark energon. Pouring from the Earth in an endless river and all Starscream had were mere sparks of it.

_Face it, _he ordered himself. _You've failed again. This plot was foolish from the get-go. You were blinded by arrogance and false hopes. Your lust for power led you to poison your body, lose your senses, and shamelessly decieve this little girl._

That last thought took him by surprise. Why did he care if he lied to her? A human? He did it to everyone, all the time. Why did he care if he decieved this flesh creature? He was a Decepticon for Primus' sake! He constantly lived up to his namesake.

By the Allspark, what was happening to him?

"Hey!" Luna stood on the seeker's leg and snapped her fingers as close to his face as she could get. "You're zonin' out on me." His optics refocused at the sound, processor pulling out of his internal rant.

"Hm," he grunted. His gaze met hers, she smiled at him. For some strange reason he found himself smiling back. After a moment Luna's was replaced with a look of horror as something dawned on her.

"Mom!" she gasped, hopping off of his leg. "I gotta call her. What if she's in danger!?" The girl frantically fished her phone out of her pocket and dialed her mother. She had three missed calls. How long had she been out? "Hello, Mom? What's going on?"

"Wher-the hell- been-? -worri-" the connection was breaking up. Luna's heart pounded in her chest.

"Mom, you're breaking up. Are you safe?" Her voice rose, echoing in the cave.

"-In-stor-elter. -you?"

"You're in a storm shelter? Good. Me too."

"Good. Be -afe. Love-" The call cut off.

"I love you too," Luna said to the silent phone. She hung her head.

"I'm sure she's safe," Starscream tried consoling. Luna snapped her head up to his. The soft tone in his voice caught her off guard.

"I know. I just miss her," her voice carried a sadness. Plopping herself next to her companion, she wrapped her arms around her knees. "She hasn't been gone that long, but I miss her like crazy. It's gonna be tuff when I have to move out. She'll be all alone."

"But don't you want to take off in this career of yours?" The seeker asked. She had the potential to live a better life. To break free from poverty. It was pretty rare to move up a caste on Cybertron.

"More than anything. It's this growing up thing, it all happened so fast." She sighed. "So, what're we gonna do about this? What exactly is going on here?"

"You tell me," Starscream replied. "I'll... contact the Autobots for an update as soon as the storm's over." The two sat in silence, the sound of the thunder and rain outside provided the only noise.

"So," Luna broke the stillness. "Are there any transformers that change into hearses?"

"You carry your dead in those, yes?" The seeker asked, looking down to see her nod her head. The two seemed to share a sense of morbidity. "None that I know of."

"That would be cool though." More silence followed Luna's attempt to make conversation. The chill crept over her. She rubbed her hands over her freckled arms, goosebumps prickled under her fingers. Her eyelids felt heavy and she couldn't stifle her yawn. Even though she had been out for who knows how long, she still felt completely drained. The storm didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon.

"While we're stuck here, I suggest we conserve our energy," Starscream had the same idea she had. He turned his back to her and moved to a different position to fall into recharge.

"It's cold in here," Luna complained. She recieved no reply. To try to warm herself, she curled into a ball on the cave floor, wrapping her arms tight around her small body. After a while of chattering teeth, Starscream grew annoyed with the sound, so he turned around to her and wordlessly scooped her off the ground. Then he transformed with her in his cockpit.

"Thanks man," Luna was grateful to be relieved of the cold. She reclined the seat as far back as it would go, then stretched out into a comfortable position. "See, you are a good friend."

"You are delisional, child," he said in jet mode.

"Admit it, we are friends," Luna taunted. "You care about me. I know I care about you." Starscream snarled in agitation, ignoring the fuzzy sensation in his spark.

"Luna, I am in desperate need of recharge. If you don't mind..."

"Say you care and I'll shut up." An exaggerated exhale escaped from the seeker.

"I suppose if something were to happen to you, I wouldn't appreciate it."

"Okay, I'll take it," Luna giggled, then yawned again. "Y'know, I haven't had another friend since Tracey."

"That vermin who humiliated you?" Starscream tried not to sound surprised.

"Yeah, we used to be the best of friends. We loved watching monster movies together and scaring the crap out of the neighbor kids. Then she turned into a total bitch. I think she was peer-pressured into bullying me. I really do miss our times together. Maybe one day we'll make up. The sooner we're out of high-school the better." Another yawn followed her explanation. She couldn't keep her eyes open, so she let them close.

She had been completely alone since she lost Tracey to the clique. She enjoyed her solitude, but once in a while she did crave the companionship. Then Starscream showed up and gave her that friendship, even though he didn't realize it. Even though she didn't know she wanted it. He would change her life forever.

...

The duo were awakened by silence. Starscream transformed back, and they made their way to the front of the mine. The sky was completely clear. The stars shone bright and their was a full moon luminating the night. They stepped out into the night, the soft ground squished under their feet.

"Oh, finally!" Luna exclaimed. Aside from a crick in her neck, the girl oddly felt full of energy. After weeks of lethargy, though she attributed most of it to her anemia and part of it to the dark energon, she felt completely alive. Physically and emotionally. No anger clouded her mind. All worries from the day had vanished. It felt like a weight has been lifted from her spirit.

"I feel good!" she inhaled, deeply taking in the scents of the forest. Of the pine, dirt, and sap and the heavy weight in the air left over from the rain. That is exactly how she felt. Like a storm had lifted. "Must be the full moon," she half joked. "Isn't it beautiful?" Gazing up at it, she exhaled in content. She may not believe in her mother's astrology, but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the beauty of the glowing orb in the sky.

"Yes," Starscream agreed. This planet was no Cybertron, but know that he took in all the sights surrounding them, he couldn't help noticing Earth's own unique beauty. If he had been on the Nemesis the whole time he would never had stopped to smell the... What was this human venacular?

Luna laughed and spun around, letting the air caress her bare arms, not caring if she looked stupid. She loved the night. It resulted in a questioning stare from her companion.

"I can't explain it," she answered his silent question. "I'm so happy and full of life right now! Oh, god. I'm turning into my mother!" The girl was distracted by a flash of light up in the sky, but it was not lightning as she dreaded. She gasped, jumping excitedly. "A shooting star! Make a wish!" Starscream had seen it as well.

"Why?" he asked.

"You're supposed to make a wish if you see a shooting star."

"That was no star, but merely a meteoriod falling into Earth's atmosphere. They are caused by bits of dust and rock..."

"Yeah, yeah," Luna interrupted him. "Don't take it so literally. Close your eyes and make a wish."

"This custom is nonsensical," Starscream condescended. "Meteoroids, nor stars possess any magical abilities."

"I know, it's just something from childhood. It's only for nostalgic purposes. Just do it!" The seeker let out a groan of irritation and decided to comply to appease the human and prevent further nagging.

"I wish..."

"No! Not out loud," Luna informed. "It won't come true if you say it out loud." Starscream rolled his optics before shuttering them and attempted to make his internal request.

_I wish, _he tried but had no idea what to wish for. Megatron's fall maybe? To be ruler of the Decepticons? To lead them all to conquer the galaxy? To follow his own path? To find his own way toward victory, somehow? No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't find anything to ask. He wasn't sure what he wanted.

Luna closed her eyes and made her wish. It was simple, generic. She knew what she wanted right away. _I wish everything will work out for my family. For everything to turn out all right in the end._

"Done?" she asked looking up at her friend.

"Uh, yes," he replied. "I feel it was a complete waste, however if it makes you happy..." Luna's face broke out in a smile. He did care about her. She decided against rubbing it in his face.

_What do I do now?_ Starscream asked himself. He could not carry out his plan. He was out matched, Megatron greatly over powered him now. He had the upper hand and all the seeker had was a dying human who possessed the smallest amount of dark energon while his former master had great quantities.

And what was with that storm? Why did it now seem like it never even happened, apart from the damp ground? Where was that volcano in Luna's vision? Not that he wanted any more of the corrupted substance. He made the decision to refrain from using it. It did nothing but damage. His body was the only thing he had control of and he did not wish to give it up to the dark matter. It would be difficult to recover from this addiction, but he no longer wished to poison his own body. He just hoped it wouldn't be too painful.

Abandoning this plan and seeking answers seemed like the best option for him. Leave and take some time to recover, then await the next opportunity.

He would take Luna home. In the morning, tell her the Autobots had contacted him and tell her she no longer required his protection. It shouldn't be too difficult to fool her, she was very naive but she had seen the image of the dark energon Megatron now possessed. She would understand he no longer needed her small amount.

Leave her for good. It would be best for the both of them. She would eventually perish. The pollution would deteriorate her from the inside out. He was glad he wouldn't be able to witness it.

He gazed solemnly at the human. Innocent, organic eyes looking longingly at the stars. Hoping she could be one one day, though she would never have the chance. It was pure irony that she was so full of life, yet she would be consumed by death in a matter of solar cycles without even seeing what was coming. He almost regretted it.

"Come," Starscream said to the girl. "I'll take you home now." This time, he transformed on the ground and waited for her to climb in, rather than tossing her into the air. She turned her smiling face towards him, sending a pang of remorse through his spark, and made her way to him.

She was prevented from doing so, for something large had pounced on top of the jet, slashing him with bladed claws and drawing energon. Starscream let out a cry of surprise then transformed to kick the attacker off of him, resulting in brief success. The intruder got in a few punches and swipes, the seeker was able to return them.

Struggling to fight them off, Starscream yelled a desperate command to the girl.

"Run Luna!"


End file.
